My Dream Land is a Wonderland
by LizzyLovesPink
Summary: Ciel makes a wish on a shooting star to appease Elizabeth one night; making it impossible because it can't come true. When he awakes, his family is still alive, he's engaged to Diedrich's daughter Sieglinde, he attends Weston with his friends McMillian and Harcourt, and Sebastian is nowhere to be seen. Everything is perfect...with a catch. CielxSieglinde, O!Ciel's Name Cedric
1. The Wish

**Author's Note: Welcome to my new multi-chapter fic! This one won't be very long, ten chapters I think...? Maybe? I can't believe nobody else in the fandom has ever had this idea before! The plot seems so ripe for it! Oh, whatever. **

**I have planned a lot of things I want to do already, but a few things I'm still unsure about, like how to bring Prince Soma into the plot. But I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later. **

**This fic is also on AO3, so go check it out there too if you'd like! **

**Enjoy! **

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"The stars are very beautiful tonight, hm?" Elizabeth asked nicely as the two sat on a blanket in the garden, sprawled out and watching the stars above them.

"Yes," Ciel responded in slight interest. The night was the perfect shade of the darkness needed to view the twinkling orbs above them; the night air just the pleasant amount of coolness. If Ciel was more invested, he'd be able to point out the various constellations that were out that night.

"Paula told me there's going to be shooting stars out tonight! Maybe we should make a wish!" Elizabeth added in an eager tone. "If you wish on a shooting star, it's bound to come true!"

"That's just a fairy-tale," Ciel declined, shaking his head. Elizabeth pouted. "Besides, shooting stars aren't actually stars,"

"They're really pretty though," Elizabeth glanced back up at the star just as the first one streamed by, illuminating the sky in silver. "Come on, just make one wish? Please?"

"I have nothing to wish for," Ciel sat up straighter on the blanket.

"Then...you'll be fine. If you have nothing to wish for, wish for something minor. Since you don't believe in it anyway, then it won't come true!" She mused, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes. She then mumbled something under her breath.

"What'd you wish for?" Ciel asked curiously, but Elizabeth just laughed.

"It won't come true if I tell you!"

"Fine, fine," Ciel glanced up at the sky again and saw a few more stars falling. He felt Elizabeth's eager eyes on him, silently coaxing him into making a wish.

Well, that sort of thing was only in fairy-tales. So he should just wish for whatever he wanted, and that'd be that. It wouldn't come true, and Elizabeth would be satisfied.

_I wish my parents and brother never died._

"I made my wish," Ciel announced after a time, making Elizabeth beam and hug him tightly.

"Yay! I hope it was something good!"

"Doesn't matter what it was, it won't come true anyway," Ciel sighed, though he still had a strange feeling in his gut. Something he couldn't shake. Something that remained with him for the remainder of the night, even as Elizabeth left the manor and he was tucked into bed.

######

Ciel was woken up in the morning to the bright sunrise of the early morning being streamed into his room. He grumbled a bit and tried to roll over in bed, upset at being awakened so early. "Leave me alone...let me sleep for a few more minutes...and close those curtains, Sebastian!"

"Sebastian? That is not my name..." A soft voice reached his ears as Ciel sat up in a panic. He glanced around his room to see himself tucked into a small blue bed covered in frills as a bigger bed in the same colour lay just across the floor from him.

In fact, everything in the room seemed to come in pairs.

"Your older brother is already awake and breaking his fast. Your parents wanted to let you sleep in a bit, but your fiancée was adamant about eating with you, so they promised to wake you up. " The maid explained nicely; she had straw-blonde hair and kind brown eyes.

"No," Ciel responded sternly. "This is all a dream...my parents are dead." Fiancée...Elizabeth was there awfully early, he couldn't remember her asking to stay the night. And she wasn't often that pushy when it came to his health.

"Did you have another nightmare?" The maid pulled the curtains closed and gave Ciel a gentle smile. "Come on, out of bed and get dressed," She motioned over to a pale blue day-suit with capris; a rack next to it was empty.

"Where is Sebastian?" He asked instead, making no moves from his bed.

"The dog? With Lord Ciel, most likely," The maid sighed. "Please don't be difficult this morning,"

"Lord Ciel...? My brother is dead too,"

"Lord Cedric, please don't be difficult," The maid scolded in a firm tone. "Please get dressed and meet with your family for breakfast,"

Ciel instead remained in bed, mulling it over even as the maid grew impatient and dragged him out.

According to her, his family was still alive. Then, what became of Elizabeth? Was she still his brother's fiancée., or his? Did he even have a fianceé that point? According to the maid, he did, and already she seemed bossy. Ciel wasn't sure he ever wanted to meet her. It seemed that despite the brothers' ages, they still shared everything, even a room.

His most pressing question, however, was what happened to Sebastian. If his family never died, then he never made his contract, which meant Sebastian was no more.

Or did he exist, just under contract to someone else?

As the maid parted his hair back and finished dressing him, Ciel got a glimpse of himself in the mirror; a pair of matching blue eyes blinked back at him. No seal to be seen.

"Please don't say anything to upset your parents this morning," The maid warned as she ushered Ciel into the dining room. He walked unsteadily, soon coming across the lively dining room.

Vincent and Rachel sat next to each other at the head, smiling sweetly at each other. His brother sat near the end of the table, engaging Elizabeth in lively conversation. The remaining Midfords sat across from them, while Diedrich of all people sat close to Vincent and Rachel. Ciel blinked a few times at the scene, trying to process it.

"There's our little sleepy-head!" Rachel teased upon seeing him, motioning him over to a seat next to Diedrich. There was still one more empty one. "Did you have a good dream?" She wore her hair braided to the side with a dark green day-gown covered in frills with a single pink rose at the front of her bodice. Ciel felt his expression start to soften slightly as he continued to stare at her. She looked just the same as she always had in his memory, just a bit more filled-out.

"No." Ciel retorted, sliding himself into the chair and staring down at the breakfast. Toast and porridge and eggs with tomatoes. Not the worst thing to eat. "I had a nightmare,"

"Oh no! What was it about?" Rachel pressed, genuinely looking concerned.

"...That all of you were dead,"

"Good thing it was just a dream, hm?" His brother mused at him, smirking. "It would be quite sad if we all died and left you all alone in the world," He was dressed identical to Ciel, the only way to tell them apart being the way their bangs parted.

"Are you guys excited about heading back to Weston in a few days?" Alexis asked politely, and Ciel started to eat as Edward answered in the affirmative. Much like his own parents, Alexis remained the same appearance-wise; clad in a casual brown suit today. He stared curiously at his light pink tie-did he always have that?

"Gotta get ready for when your House gets beat in the annual cricket tournament again, right cousin?" Edward laughed at Ciel.

"I don't go to Weston,"

"Of course you do. Both you and your brother go. It was quite surprising you two ended up in different Houses, but you still collect friends from all around the school, so I suppose it all worked out in the end," Vincent commented. He still dressed formally, even for breakfast, so Ciel found himself wondering if he had a mission to do later. His suit was black with blue trim, and still looked the same as ever.

"What House am I in?" Ciel asked instead, after a few seconds of silence.

"Sapphire Owl! And I am in Scarlet Fox, and our dear cousin is in Green Lion!" His brother smirked.

So, it seemed Edward was still in Green Lion in this universe. That was good, Ciel mused to himself. Everyone's general appearance seemed to be the same as well, aside from his own. Even Elizabeth looked the same, despite being dressed in a cream yellow gown so flouncy a dessert cart would be green.

"Why is Diedrich here though?" He continued, making Rachel's features soften.

"Honey, how bad was your nightmare last night? He is a very close friend of the family," She frowned a bit at him. "You don't remember?"

"I know _that_, but I thought he moved back to Germany,"

"He did, but moved back a few years ago due to wanting to be closer to us," Vincent confirmed. "Speaking of which, do you think she's ready to join us for breakfast?"

"She should be," Diedrich nodded. "I'll have a maid bring her in,"

"Good. She seemed quite upset that Cedric almost slept in," Rachel furrowed her brow.

"Oh, that silly girl. She'd spend her whole life in her books, wasting away if it weren't for us!" Ciel's brother laughed meanly. Elizabeth joined in awkwardly.

"I think she's awfully sweet," She added, the only sentence she had spoken throughout the whole meal.

"Who are you all talking about?" Ciel asked.

"Your fiancée," Vincent answered.

"Elizabeth isn't my fiancée?"

"Why would she be? She's always been mine!" His brother shot back. "You're acting very strange this morning and I don't like it at all!"

"Who then...?" Ciel's mind drew a blank. The only other girls he knew were the sisters of the Weston boys, and Doll. But neither option seemed very likely.

"Hello sweetheart. Can you eat today? Do you feel good?" Diedrich's voice turned softer as he addressed someone who was being wheeled into the room on a wheelchair.

"Yes, I feel perfectly fine!"

Ciel's heart nearly stopped as the maid gently pulled the girl out of her wheelchair and sat her down in the chair inbetween him and Diedrich. She wore a very fancy embroidered gown from her homeland in deep shades of emerald. Even now, her hair was cut into a cute little bob kept neat with white bows on either side.

"Good morning, darling," Diedrich carried on as Sieglinde adjusted her position slightly.

"Morning! I hope you slept well!" She greeted Ciel happily with a kiss on his cheek.

"I know you're a bit confused this morning from your nightmare," Rachel begun slowly. "But surely you at least remember your fiancée, Sieglinde Diedrich?"

"Her last name...is Sullivan..not Diedrich..." Ciel weakly protested. The last shred of appetite he had was fully gone.

"Are you trying to imply something?" Diedrich asked roughly. "Yes, her mother walked out on us. But that doesn't mean anything. She is my daughter, true as true,"

"Your...daughter...?"

Something had gone horribly wrong in the overnight hours, and it had finally dawned on Ciel. Either everyone in his world had gone completely crazy, he was still dreaming, or, and the last option was truly impossible, but he found himself considering it more and more as the time passed.

That the wish he made on that shooting star the previous night was a real wishing star, and his superficial wish had come true.

What had he just done to himself?


	2. Flower Crowns

After breakfast, Frances and Alexis retired to the library, while Vincent and Rachel continued to stare worriedly at Ciel.

"Could you go into further detail about your nightmare?" Rachel asked softly, sitting Ciel down on the couch.

"Only if you want to, of course. We wouldn't want you to get scared again," Vincent added carefully. His brother and Elizabeth were a few paces behind.

Ciel stared uneasily at them. What was with all of the sudden care? He was still thirteen in this universe, so why were they still treating him like a child, as if nightmares and scary thoughts were still taboo ideas that'd upset his delicate senses?

He finally took a deep breath anyway. Might as well tell them. "There's nothing more to say. You two were killed on my birthday. Someone raided our manor and kidnapped my brother and I. He...died, and I survived and took the name. I was engaged to Elizabeth. Diedrich moved back to Germany and Sieglinde was never related to him. I never attended Weston," Ciel recited. "Even the servants here are foreign to me,"

"Oh, sweetie," Rachel cooed, pulling Ciel into a tight but loving hug that made him tense up. "The good thing about dreams is that they aren't real. It sounds devastating, but luckily you woke up and get to be with all of us here,"

"It wasn't a dream though. Then this morning, I woke up and found everything like this," He protested.

"You, taking my title? That's how you know that's a dream. That'd never happen!" His brother laughed, standing on the tips of his toes.

"It did!" Ciel snapped at him. His brother simply shrugged.

"Come on, Lizzie. Let's go find your parents," He tugged on the blonde's arm, and she nodded mutely, following after him.

"Hey, want to go explore the garden with me? We could make flower crowns!" Sieglinde smiled. "It'd take your mind off your nightmare!"

Ciel almost declined when he recalled what Sieglinde was like in his own world. Quirky and perverted, sure, but also intelligent and quick on her feet. If anyone would believe him, it'd likely be her. And even if she didn't, she'd likely still point him in the right direction of who to talk to next.

"Alright," He finally said, and she perked up.

"Lovely!"

"Be gentle with him," Rachel reminded her softly.

"Yeah, he's likely still shaken-up from his nightmare. If he collapses suddenly, you yell loudly and alert us, alright?" Vincent told her. Sieglinde nodded slowly, looking away as Diedrich walked into the room.

"Would you like me to push your wheelchair, sweetheart?" He asked, but Sieglinde shook her head.

"No! I'd like Cedric to do it, please!"

"Lord Cedric,"

"Right, right! Lord Cedric! May you please push my wheelchair?"

"S-Sure," Ciel suddenly blushed, feeling bombarded by the common use of his old name, his dead name, that name that no longer existed. He then scolded himself as he stood up. If he was ever going to survive in this world and figure out what happened, he'd have to adjust quickly.

He stood up slowly and took the cold handles of the wheelchair, nodding to both of his parents and Diedrich as he wheeled Sieglinde outside. It was the middle of spring in his previous world and the truth was here too; flowers were in full bloom and butterflies flittered about.

"It's a really nice day," She smiled at Ciel. "It makes me wish I brought a book or something,"

"I could get one for you," He offered, and she perked up at him.

"Really? That'd be wonderful! I really love fairy-tales,"

"Got it," Ciel then left her in the garden as he headed back inside the manor and got a few books about fairy-tales and folklore from the bookshelf in his room, coming back and piling them all into his lap. He silently hoped those weren't for _him_.

"You're so sweet!" She gasped, clasping her hands together. "Oh, and some of these are even in German!"

"So, you still speak German," Ciel said to himself.

"Of course I do! Vati and I lived in Germany for a few years. We only moved back here two years ago, as you remember," She pulled open one of the books and ran her finger along the table of contents. "I also can speak Latin, and English obviously, and I'm working on French,"

So she still possessed her superior intellect. Well, knowing who her father was in this world, it made sense.

"Here it is! One of my favourite fairy-tales!" She announced. "The Frog Prince!"

"Why is that one your favourite?" He found himself asking.

"Because it's about a frog, and I've always wanted to kiss a cute, slimy frog!"

He made a face as she laughed.

"I wouldn't mind kissing you to see if you'll turn into a prince!" She carried on, leaning forward in her wheelchair. "Maybe I have to kiss a different part of your rather than your lips..." She scanned his body, her eyes settling on the front of his pants. He blushed heavily and turned away from her as she laughed again.

"Do you have a butler?" Ciel asked once she managed to calm down, thumbing through the pages of the book.

"That's a bit sudden!"

"I'm just wondering. Because all noble ladies have butlers, you know,"

"Really? Lizzie doesn't have a butler," Sieglinde put her finger on her lips in a thoughtful position.

"Lizzie? You two are best friends?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yes! When Vati and I first moved here, I was so confused. I didn't know what to do, say, eat, wear...but she helped me out a lot!"

Made sense. Elizabeth was a very friendly person and always took others under her wing if she was able to. Even in his world she and Sieglinde were close.

"Anyway, about my butler...I do! Well, he's back in Germany right now, taking care of Vati's manor," She explained.

"His name?"

"I call him Wolfram because he's big and intimating, like a werewolf, but he's the sweetest thing you have ever seen!"

"I see," Ciel walked away from her, looking over all of the flowers in the garden. Even they seemed perfect, down to the minute detail. The white table and chair set was placed in a clearing of the garden, and just beyond that stretched a large field with lots of space for playing. It was exactly as he remembered it, and it haunted him in a way he couldn't put his finger on.

"Does this have anything to do with your dream?" Sieglinde asked him suddenly, making him jump as her tone suddenly turned serious.

"Sieglinde..."

She closed the book. "I am your fiancée, Lord Cedric. If there is anything you need to tell me, tell me. I don't want to be left out!"

"Well," Ciel suddenly hesitated. Where did he even begin? Perhaps with the things actually involving her. "In my dream, you weren't Diedrich's daughter. He never married or had a child, he remained single. That is the least confusing thing about this world, I have to admit,"

Sieglinde nodded in understanding. "If only I had a notebook and pen...we could write down the differences,"

"I don't see why it matters. I'm likely asleep still," He rubbed his forehead. "So instead, tell me about your life. Tell me as much of my life as you know. If I'm going to figure out what happened to me, I'm going to need to act like I've lived this way for the past thirteen years,"

"Alright..." She nodded again. "I don't know too much about your life, but I do know about mine!"

Ciel settled himself in as Sieglinde begun to tell him all that she knew of her life.

"Vati attended Weston and became a...servant, to Earl Phantomhive. That's all he'll tell me. After he graduated, he moved back to Germany and married a woman there who was in the military. Two years later, they had me. They did the dirty! After I was born, Mutti left Vati. I think it was to join the military again. Vati became very protective of me. You were a cute little baby because your parents did the dirty too, and since your older brother had a fiancée, your parents wanted your fiancée to be a noble too! That's how I came into the picture!" Sieglinde grinned. "Vati and I moved here a few years ago so you and I could get close. In Germany, Vati tutored me in a lot of subjects and I was considered very intelligent for my age. He also gave me a butler for when he couldn't take care of me, Wolfram,"

Ciel nodded. "Seems...quite different from what I was expecting," He chose to ignore some of her choice words.

"Yeah, my life isn't very exciting, but it brought us together!" She adjusted her skirt awkwardly.

"How...did that happen?" Ciel motioned to her legs.

"I was born this way," She ran her hands over her tiny feet. "I can barely walk on my own, so Vati commissioned a wheelchair for me. When you were younger, you often pushed it into walls and your parents had to stop you,"

He smiled awkwardly.

"My mother's name was Gretchen Sullivan," She added. "And that is my life story,"

"No wonder Diedrich seemed so upset at breakfast when I suggested Sullivan was your last name,"

"I think we have some pictures of her somewhere," Sieglinde looked around the garden suddenly, noticing some blooming flowers. "May we please make those flower crowns now, Lord Cedric?"

"We may," Ciel nodded and gently pushed her over to a small grouping of flowers he knew from experience would be perfect for the activity. He took the books from her lap and placed them on top of the table.

"Will you touch _my_ rose?" She asked cheekily, and Ciel blushed heavily as he picked some flowers for her.

"Here," He tossed them into her lap, and she happily begun to work on them, twisting them into delicate knots.

Ciel leaned against a tree in the garden and simply watched her, feeling out-of-place. This wasn't his life, it was never meant to be. This was some other person's life. To think, all of this because he wished on some star. Ridiculous. He was still asleep, and in a few more minutes Sebastian will come wake him up and fill him in on the duties for that day-

"Lord Cedric? Don't you want to make one too?" Sieglinde asked him curiously, staring at him with her wide green eyes.

"No, I don't like childish activities like that," He declined, making her pout.

"Really? You love things like this! You always sit in the garden with me and make flower crowns with me," She sighed.

Right, he was evidently nicer in this world. He shook his head and grabbed a fistful of flowers.

"Sorry, I'm just not feeling myself today," He admitted, wincing a bit as he lowered himself onto the dirty grass. Sieglinde slowed her motions.

"Maybe you have a fever!" She stuck her hand out to test, but Ciel managed to dodge her.

"I'm perfectly fine and healthy. Just a bit out-of-it today, as you well know. I guess that dream really messed with my head," He laughed a bit, and Sieglinde smiled.

"In due time, you'll forget about it," She finished making her crown and held it up. "What do you think, Lord Cedric?"

Hers was wound together masterfully, with small knots made of grass and lilies, daisies, roses, and buttercups making up the contents.

"It looks beautiful. You should've added more grass though to bring out your eyes," He suggested, making her blush a bit.

"Too late for that now," She slipped the crown onto her head, making it hang there crookedly. "Make yours look like mine, alright?"

"Alright," He nodded simply and stuck out his tongue in concentration as he struggled to wind the grass and roots up effectively to keep the flowers in place. Sieglinde watched him in amusement.

Finally, he made a messily-tied one where a few flowers were hanging off and the whole thing was in disarray. Sieglinde still clasped her hands together.

"It's really cute!" She encouraged just as Ciel slowly slipped it on his head. "Now we match!"

"How are things going here?" Vincent asked nicely as he strolled past the children, Rachel by his side, carrying a lacy green parasol. Ciel remembered those, she had one to match every outfit.

"We made flower crowns!" Sieglinde pointed to hers.

"They look beautiful," Rachel smiled at them. "How is our son doing? Is he..doing okay?"

"Mother!" Ciel blushed heavily, making the other three giggle. "I'm perfectly fine,"

"I think he might have a bit of a fever. He forgot how much he loves playing with me!" Sieglinde commented.

"I think he's just spooked from the nightmare," Vincent shook his head. "But we'll keep an eye on him, just in case,"

"Mother!" Ciel suddenly jumped up and hurried over to her, resisting the urge to tug on her dress. She smiled down at him.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Where is Madam Red? Where has she gone? What happened to her?" The questions poured from his mouth before he could control them. "She didn't die, did she?"

"My sister, Anne? Goodness, where did you get that idea from? Anne is still alive and well," She frowned slightly. "She visits you almost every week, and plays with you and Ciel and Elizabeth. Edward and Sieglinde too,"

So, Madam Red was still active. Somehow, that thought comforted him deep down.

"Is...is she married?"

"No, she prefers living the single life. I allow it, she seems so happy," Rachel smiled, and Ciel sighed in relief.

She wasn't married, but didn't seem to have had the tragic events occur to her that would turn her into an infamous serial killer. Maybe further down the road, but certainly not now.

"She's also your doctor," Vincent reminded him softly, and Ciel nodded numbly.

"I want to go back inside now. I've had enough sun," He ordered, and Vincent nodded.

"Of course. Why don't you take Lady Diedrich inside and spend some time in the library? Or perhaps the playroom? My wife will join you," He smiled.

"We have a playroom...?" Ciel simply trailed off and started to push Sieglinde into the manor, deciding not to question anything else. Rachel followed after them silently, remembering to close up her parasol and put it away when she got inside.

"Which room are we going to, Lord Cedric?" Sieglinde asked.

"What other rooms are there that we can use?" His manor didn't seem to have changed from the outside, but the halls and entryways were far more expansive than he recalled, so it was safe to assume there were lots of rooms he wasn't familiar with yet.

"The study, library, drawing room, art room, playroom, exercise room...I think that's it," She rattled off.

"Playroom then. I don't want to run into my brother," He grumbled as he pushed Sieglinde down the hall and into the playroom as Rachel followed.

The playroom was set up with several oak desks all lined against one wall, and a large toy-chest painted silver filled with toys and games that were a bit too young for the target age range of the manor. Building sets were in another corner, as well as a gramophone and sewing kit in another.

"Why do we have this room?" Ciel wondered out-loud as Rachel settled herself into the sewing chair.

"One of your favourite rooms in the house!" She smiled before working on some half-finished project.

Ciel sighed, but recomposed himself. It was his idea to go into that room, after all, and he still needed to act the part.

"What shall we play?" He asked Sieglinde, who was currently being held awkwardly by a servant.

"Building blocks," She motioned to those and was gently set down on the floor in front of them. "Let's build a replica of the manor!"

"Don't you think that's a bit complex?" Ciel laughed awkwardly. Sieglinde was already dumping out huge chunks of blocks onto the floor.

"Not if we put our minds to it!" She grinned.

As they built; though it was mainly Sieglinde who did the bulk of it, Elizabeth and Ciel's brother arrived, Elizabeth hiding meekly behind the corner.

"What are you two working on?" He asked curiously, eyeing the tall stack.

"We're making a model of the Phantomhive manor!" Sieglinde gushed without looking up from her work. Ciel blushed a bit watching her; she was truly in her element.

"Oh? How interesting. I keep forgetting your fiancée is far more focused on those mannish pursuits of hers. Things are different in Germany, I suppose, though I feel as though you prefer her that way," His brother smirked. "Fair enough. You have your preference, and I have mine," He gently pulled Elizabeth over to him and gave her a kiss on the hand. She stared at him blankly.

"Want to join us?" Sieglinde asked the two kindly, unaware of the rudeness of the twin evidently.

"Might as well," He shrugged and scooted further away from the couple, building his own tall replica in half of the time.

"Yours looks really good!" She then noticed Elizabeth standing in the corner. "Why don't you join us too?"

"Oh, no thank you. I am not into things like that," Elizabeth responded firmly. "I should go attend to my aunt," She then hurried over to where Rachel was, sitting at her feet and chatting with her softly.

Ciel frowned. He clearly saw the longing in Elizabeth's eyes. Even if she wasn't into building blocks, she still would've joined in in his old world because that was the kind of person she was. Had her being engaged to his brother drastically change her personality? Or was it all just some sort of act?

"Look at mine!" Sieglinde gently got Ciel's attention and motioned to her replica, which was fairly accurate except she forgot some outside rooms and the blocks she used were blue and yellow.

"It's good," He commented with disinterest. She frowned at his tone but didn't press further.

"Not as good as mine though!" His twin smirked, showing off his model made entirely from plain wooden blocks. His was taller and far more accurate. "What do you think of it?"

"It's good as well," He nodded, standing up.

"I expected a little bit more interest from you, brother," If his brother was hurt by his tone, he certainly didn't show it; that proud smirk was still plastered onto his face.

"Mother," Ciel walked over to Rachel, trying not to wince outwardly at the title. It felt so wrong, so strange, to call her that. Not because she wasn't his mother, but because he had gone so long without having to answer to her.

"Yes sweetheart?" Rachel looked up from her embroidery work, smiling.

"Who is our butler?"

"Mr. Tanaka is. He has been in your father's family as the butler since the time of your grandmother, don't you remember?" She stared at him in concern.

Tanaka still worked for them then. That was one of the changes that made sense. Tanaka was still in his employ as well, after all.

"Are you sure you don't have a fever?" Rachel's eyes shone with concern. "Maybe we shouldn't have let you go outside earlier,"

"I'm perfectly fine," Ciel reassured her. "I'm just disoriented from my nightmare. It felt so real...!"

"I can't imagine a world where you weren't engaged to me!" Sieglinde chimed in. "We seem so perfect for each other!"

"Luckily, you have a couple of days to adjust before you go back to Weston. You'll get used to everything again," Rachel ran her hand down her son's face softly with a smile.

Ciel simply nodded, not knowing what else to say. He went back over to where his brother and Sieglinde were; Sieglinde was building another house while the twin watched her in extreme disinterest. Ciel saw a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and jumped up, sliding onto the floor and knocking his fiancée over. The two block manors fell down as well, scattering blocks everywhere on the floor.

"Lord Cedric!" Sieglinde gasped in surprise. He glanced up and blushed heavily when he realized he was on top of her. "I didn't know you were _that_ into me...!"

"You ruined my tower!" His brother glared at him.

"I saw that look in your eyes, you were going to knock over Sieglinde's!" Ciel shot back.

Rachel hurried over and helped Ciel to his feet. "Now there's a mess," She commented sadly.

"Make Cedric clean it up. He knocked everything over," His brother huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Please don't fight!" Elizabeth spoke up, tears brimming in her emerald eyes. "Please! Oh, I hate it when you two fight!" She ran from the room.

"See? You've made my fiancée upset," His brother shot a pointed glance at him as he rushed after her.

Ciel sighed and stood there, staring at the pile of blocks.

"Sweetheart? Could you and Sieglinde please pick those blocks up?" Rachel asked sweetly. Sieglinde nodded and crawled over to the mess, tossing the blocks back into their decorative box. Ciel stood there for a few more seconds, trying to process the request before he stooped down as well and helped her.

After they finished, Rachel patted both of their heads. "Good job!"

Sieglinde smiled happily, but Ciel bristled under the touch of his mother. Was it really the norm for him to be treated so childishly in this world?

"What are we going to do now, Countess Phantomhive?" She asked nicely.

"I didn't really have any other plans for you..." Rachel got a thoughtful expression on her features. "So I don't see why you two can't explore the manor. As long as you stay where you're supposed to,"

"Alright!" Sieglinde perked up as a maid arrived and sat her down in her wheelchair again. "Where to next, Lord Cedric?"

"Um..." Ciel drew a blank. For the first time in a long time, he had recreational time. And he had no idea what he even wanted to do. "I...I think I have homework,"He responded instead.

"Awww, no you don't! You're on holiday from Weston! They never give out assignments during holidays!" Sieglinde protested.

"Well...I don't have any idea what I want to do." He answered honestly.

"I wouldn't mind listening to you play the violin," She admitted.

So that was something he knew how to do in this world. It wasn't necessarily a bad hobby, but he wasn't sure if he could play well enough to fool anyone, especially if both Sieglinde and his mother were going to be his audience, two people who seemed to know everything about him.

"Alright." Ciel gently pushed her wheelchair out of the playroom and into the music room, which was several hallways down.

Once they arrived, Ciel rolled Sieglinde into a corner of the room and pulled out a violin that was neatly laid out in another corner on its own little stand. He awkwardly held it in his hands before he leaned his chin against the surface, balancing the violin underneath it. That felt like the proper position to have it in, so Ciel started to play one of the songs he had in mind at the moment.

Sieglinde clasped her hands together happily, smiling at the song. It sounded pretty. Ciel was suddenly very glad Rachel hadn't insisted on following them into the music room as well. He closed his eyes and continued playing.

Once he finished, he opened his eyes and sighed a bit as Sieglinde cheered for him. "Play another one, Lord Cedric!"

"If I must," He tried his best to smirk at her as he closed his eyes again and started to play another melody. This one was shakier than the first, and a few times the violin squeaked and scratched noisily, but it just made Seglinde cheer more.

"Dinner!" Rachel called politely into the room. "I think you'll like the dessert!"

"Ooooh! I hope it's chocolate cake! My favourite!" Sieglinde smiled as Ciel rolled her into the dining room.

"You like it too?" He asked in surprise, his features softening slightly.

"Yes!" She nodded. "Though, I really like any kind of cake. Or sweets in general. Or just food! Food in general is amazing!"

"Yup, you're definitely Diedrich's daughter," He mumbled under his breath as he finished wheeling her in and took his seat inbetween her and her father.

"It's such a shame we'll be leaving you all tomorrow!" Alexis commented as they started to eat. "But we need our boys to prepare for their time back at school,"

Ciel froze, nearly dropping his spoon.

"What's wrong? We'll only be a letter away!" Alexis noticed his nephew's expression.

"Yes. Don't act as though it'll be forever," Frances added.

"Weston...is a boarding school," Ciel said quietly, trying not to tremble.

If his parents sent him away to Weston, he'd have almost no time to himself to investigate what had happened to him and how much had changed. He knew how strict the school was and wasn't in the mood for actual rule-breaking. And if his father's earlier words were anything to believe, he had amassed quite a few friends there as well. They'd definitely suspect something if he shirked his studies.

"Cedric?" Rachel asked in concern.

"I...I'm suddenly not feeling very well," Ciel lied, faking a cough. "I think I actually _am_ coming down with something," He coughed again.

"Oh dear...!"

"It's to be expected. You probably just ran yourself rampant again," Vincent gave him a small smile. "Do you feel well enough to finish your meal?"

"No," Ciel shook his head, pushing the soup dish away.

"Lord Cedric..." Sieglinde's eyes shimmered. "If you any need of my homemade techniques to heal you, just let me know!" She cheekily ran her hands down her body.

"Sweetheart, not at the table!" Diedrich scolded her.

"Do you need someone to escort you to your room?" Rachel asked, but Ciel shook his head as he stood up.

"I'm perfectly fine. It's probably just a little cold," He smiled to reassure everyone, faking another cough. "Good night, "

Once Ciel was safely in the confines of his shared bedroom, he sat down at his desk and searched through it, finding a small green notebook filled with childish scribbles. He recognized his tone, but not the sloppy letters. Oh well.

He pulled out a pen and chewed on the end nervously as he started to take notes about everything that had changed in this world so far that he had noticed.

_My parents are still alive, as is my brother._

_My brother and I attend Weston alongside Edward. Our Houses are different. I apparently have friends there from different Houses as well._

_Diedrich has a daughter. That daughter is Sieglinde._

_Sieglinde is my fiancée , while Elizabeth is my brother's._

_Madam Red seems to still be a doctor and a partier, but is happier? Need more information._

_Sebastian is nowhere to be seen in this house._

As Ciel finished writing his notes, he was startled by a knock at the door and quickly shut his notebook.

"My lord? I am here to dress you for tonight!" A maid called in through the door, making him flinch. The last maid hadn't undressed him entirely, but this one would have to.

"Um...I think I'm fine. I'll just sleep in my clothes," Ciel declined, managing to slip off his shoes and crawl under the covers of his bed.

"Are you sure...?" The maid asked awkwardly from behind the door. "That hardly seems comfortable,"

"I'll be fine!" He buried his face in his pillow, sighing once he heard the receding footsteps.

The bed was actually quite comfortable; smaller than his old one but bouncier with several layers of covers. It was all a faint white and powder blue shade, while his brother's looked the same.

He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out what his plan for the next day would be. He still had some time before going back to Weston; he knew he needed to have a good idea of the current situation before then. Maybe he could try to sneak around the manor and eavesdrop.

The twin smirked to himself when it was time for him to turn in, watching his younger brother sleep. The poor thing was so ill, he hadn't even changed yet. He didn't sense a fever, but knew one was coming.

"Why were you so loopy today?" He questioned Cedric with a sigh. "It was like you fell from the sky," He brushed some hair out of Cedric's face gently so he wouldn't wake up. "I was really worried,"

He turned out the light with a final look at Cedric before crawling into bed himself and falling asleep.


	3. They Treat Me Like a Child

Ciel woke up early the next morning, sighing a bit to himself as he rolled over in bed. As he opened his eyes, he quickly registered that everything was still the same; his brother was soundly sleeping in his own bed just across the way.

So, sleeping normally wasn't enough to break the curse. He needed to try something else, it seemed.

"Hm...Cedric?" His twin asked sleepily as he sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. "Do you want me to help dress you?"

"No! I can do that myself!" Ciel declined, quickly sliding out of bed. His clothes from the previous day were all wrinkled and rumpled.

"No, you can't," His brother sighed as he got out of bed as well. "Let me do it," He pulled Ciel out of bed quite easily, starting to undress him.

"Hm..." Ciel pouted. If he was never kidnapped, then that cursed branding mark wouldn't have marred his flesh, right? So it was fine to be naked in front of others, right?

"Mother wanted us to wear these today," His brother motioned over to two light suits made for day-wear in pale green and yellow. The colours chosen looked quite girly to Ciel, but somehow he knew protesting wouldn't get him anywhere at all.

"Do you still feel ill today?" His brother asked in concern as they both finished getting dressed. Before Ciel could move away, his twin placed the back of his hand on his forehead. "You don't feel warm at all!"

"I still feel a bit out-of-it," He admitted. "I hope there won't be much excitement today,"

"The Midfords are preparing to leave, as is Uncle Dee and Sieglinde. So maybe," His brother shrugged. "Anyway, it's time for breakfast!"

Ciel simply nodded and hurried after his brother, arriving at the breakfast table and subtly sighing in relief when he just saw his parents there. He wasn't in the mood for more excitement.

"How are you feeling today?" Vincent immediately asked upon Ciel sitting down.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Rachel asked in concern.

"No, I feel perfectly fine," He reassured them as he started to eat. "I am sorry for giving everyone such a fright yesterday."

"I think you should be apologizing to your fiancée," Vincent scolded lightly. "Nobody was more hurt by your claims than she,"

"I'll apologize to her the next time I see her," Ciel still had very little appetite, but managed to eat his bowl of porridge while picking at the remainder of his food. His parents nodded in approval as everyone else finished and they went their separate ways.

Ciel wandered around the halls of the manor, taking care to not run into anybody who would try and chat with him, delaying him. He already had a location in mind and hoped it was still in the same place as it was in his manor; thankfully, it was. He carefully turned the shiny doorknob and watched as it swung open widely to reveal a dark blue room that smelled of wood finish and pipe smoke.

It was a comforting, familiar smell that Ciel started to get lost in before he shook his head, remembering his goal. It was only a matter of time before his father walked in and caught him, he figured.

A large mahogany desk was in front of the window, as well as several bookshelves aligned on one wall and a large table with several chairs around it. Ciel stared at that; what was it for? He didn't remember his father ever owning that.

He walked over to the bookshelves and ran his finger along the spines, finding them to be mainly books on nature and science for whatever reason. A picture was placed near the top, which Ciel stood on his tiptoes and jumped to try and reach, but to no avail. He glanced down and realized in horror that he wore simple flat boots, no heel to be seen. The bookshelf towered over him.

He retreated to the desk to find another picture there; it boasted the four members of the family sitting together in the grass happily. It was a picture he had seen before, so he ignored it and glanced at the papers on Vincent's desk.

All business-related...not a single one having to do with Ciel's own company. Obviously, Ciel in this universe never had a reason to start his own business, nor would he likely be allowed to.

He tried to pull open the drawers, only to find that they were locked. That didn't surprise him; they likely contained valuable or damning things for Vincent. Both weren't likely to see the light of day.

Ciel started to read the papers closer when he heard rapid footsteps approaching the room, making him freeze. He ducked under the desk and folded himself up, holding his breath in the hopes whoever showed up wouldn't notice him.

The footsteps dwindled before they couldn't be heard anymore, but Ciel still heard soft padding footsteps wander inside and accidentally gasped in surprise.

"Woof! Woof!" Sebastian darted over to where Ciel was hidden and continued to loudly bark, ignoring Ciel's protests for him to be quiet.

"Sebastian? Where are you?" His brother called out. "Did you find something, boy?" He grinned as he hurried over. Sebastian's barks grew more excited as the twin leaned over and smirked at Ciel's current position. "Wow, I never took you for being much of a troublemaker," He gently scratched Sebastian behind the ear.

"I'm not a troublemaker, I was just looking for something," Ciel protested, slowly standing up and dusting himself off. The large dog glared at him.

"In Father's personal office? The one he told us to never enter?" The smirk grew wider.

"What's your excuse?" Ciel then walked out, sighing a bit as the twin and Sebastian followed him.

"I'm not going to ignore our dog barking eagerly over something," The twin smirked yet again.

"What does Father's business deal with?" Ciel asked curiously. "He had more papers on his desk than normal,"

"Railroads, or something boring like that," His brother waved his hand dismissively. "Are you going to pitch that ridiculous idea of yours again? The one about selling toys?"

"No...?" Ciel blinked. "Besides, if I had a company, I would want to sell more than just toys. Candy too, and clothes probably. And feel-better food,"

"Stuff for children?" His brother smiled. "Makes sense. You'll always forever be a child at heart. It's almost sickening,"

"What are we doing today?" Ciel asked instead.

"Hm? I think Mother and Father are taking me and Lizzy out for a boat-ride," He shrugged.

"Am I invited?"

"Why would you be invited? Too much sun gives you a headache, you know that!" He snickered. "You get to stay here with your manly fiancée and dull cousin," With that, his brother took off running again, leaving Ciel behind.

He blinked, feeling a familiar sense of aching in his chest. Why was he hurt over not being invited? Such a lively activity wasn't his ideal way to spend the day, yet he still felt left-out. Even the idea of having the manor to himself mainly to explore some more held very little appeal for him. He still felt an ache in his chest.

Sebastian growling at him brought him out of his thoughts, and he started to back away nervously, hitting his back against the wall. "Come on, don't hurt me..." He held out his hands to try and look less threatening. Still, Sebastian didn't let up and continued growling at him.

"Cedric?" Where are you?" Rachel's voice rang out through the hall, and Ciel suddenly coughed as Sebastian perked up and dashed off, wagging his tail for his mistress. She smiled happily and gave him a pat before noticing her son. "Cedric? Are you alright?"

Ciel coughed again before nodding. "Yes...!"

"I think you should go back to bed," She gently but firmly grabbed her son's hand, ignoring his protests as she led him back to his bedroom and sat him down in bed. "Just rest. I think you've been having too much excitement lately,"

On anyone else, that tone would have sounded condescending and smug, but it sounded genuine in Rachel's voice. Even her blue eyes shimmered with worry. They were so similar to his.

"Maybe," He agreed to appease her. "I'm just sad I couldn't go out boating with you,"

"I know, your father and I really wanted you to come with us, but Ciel suggested that it would be best if you stayed since you haven't been yourself lately. Plus, too much sun gives you a headache," She gently brushed some hair away from his face, making him flinch.

The sun made him sick? How delicate was he in this world?

"I don't want to sit here bored all day. Isn't there a place I could play pool or cards or something?" Ciel asked as sweetly as he could muster, making Rachel chuckle.

"My little boy is developing some adult interests, hm? I wouldn't have expected you to like such things!" She continued to giggle. "Well, Edward will be here still, and so will Sieglinde. I'm sure the three of you could come up with something,"

"A lot of reading," Ciel mumbled under his breath, but Rachel smiled.

"Yes! Exactly! You two could tell each other fairy-tales!" She then gave Ciel a gentle kiss on his forehead before leaving the room. "We'll be back by sundown,"

"Alright," Ciel stifled a cough and decided he'd get out of bed the very second they left. He wasn't sick, there was no reason for them to coddle him as such. He may not have wanted to join them, but there was also no way he was going to spend an entire day in bed, listening to Edward and Sieglinde read him childrens' stories.

"I'll bring you back a picture!" A somber yet feminine voice reached his ears, and Ciel glanced over at the doorway to see Elizabeth there, partially hidden by the doorframe. She was wearing an outfit that resembled a dark blue sailor suit, complete with a hat. Golden buttons went down the sides. "It'll be a good one, for you," Earrings shaped like flowers jiggled in time with her head motions; the same shade of yellow as her hair.

"A picture would be nice," Ciel said, not looking over at her. Elizabeth made no further move to get closer.

"I truly wish you could come, but it's for the best. You don't want to get sick,"

"I've been out in the sun plenty of times before without falling ill. I most certainly won't get sick this time. Nor will I get burned,"

"Ciel cares about you a lot," Then Elizabeth turned on her heel and dashed off, her skirt swishing around with her.

Ciel sighed as he swallowed down another cough and threw himself down onto his pillow, feeling the ache again. He also felt something else, something darker, something stranger. He glanced over at the bedroom window, flinching simply because there was nothing there.

He remained in bed for what seemed like several hours, hearing the bustle of his family and Elizabeth before everything suddenly calmed down, indicating they had left. A maid arrived with a tray full of hearty food.

"Lord Cedric, are you awake?" She gently shook him. "Time for lunch,"

"Is it something sweet?" He mumbled without thinking, sitting up. He felt as though he hadn't touched a dessert in days.

"It's milk soup with a topping of apples and cinnamon," The maid motioned to the bowl. "Sweeter than normal, but Earl Phantomhive said you would benefit from a meal like this. He said you were to be served in your room,"

"I'd rather eat with Edward and Sieglinde," Ciel declined, staring at the tray set out in his lap. The maid shook her head.

"Earl Phantomhive, as well as the Countess, have both ordered you to remain in bed for today,"

"I would like to eat at the dining table. I am not a child," He grumbled.

"Please do not be difficult about it, Lord Cedric. You may take it up with them when they return," She then left the room, making Ciel groan.

Not allowed to leave his room? Having to eat meals off a tray? He really was coddled crazily in this universe. And it was about to drive him mad.

"Lord Cedric!" Sieglinde's voice reached his ears, and he looked over to see her being rolled into the room by Edward, both sporting smiles on their faces. She had a small stack of books in her lap.

"Great, I suppose you two are here to amuse me in my time of weakness," Ciel chided.

Edward frowned a bit. "What's gotten into you? You normally love our company,"

"I'd much rather be with my family instead of holed up in my room like an invalid," He sighed. "Besides, Elizabeth is your sister. Why aren't you with her and my family?"

"Mother insisted I stay to help her and Father pack," Edward grumbled. "As if she needs the help,"

"Is that milk soup?!" Sieglinde's eyes lit up. "It looks delicious!"

"You can have it," Ciel handed her the bowl, and she instantly took it and began to eat it voraciously. She didn't slurp, but she ate rapidly and some liquid dribbled down her chin.

"Are you sure you don't want any? It's super sweet and good!" She gasped again. "I know! I'll feed it to you!"

"Wait-" Ciel protested before she wheeled herself closer to the bed and shoved the spoon into his mouth, making him choke.

"Lady Sieglinde!" Edward scolded, pushing her back away from the bed. "Be careful!"

"Hmph," She pouted.

Ciel managed to swallow the soup and yanked the spoon out of his mouth, blushing heavily. "It tastes like porridge, but sweeter,"

"I don't get the fuss. You have it all of the time," Edward raised an eyebrow, but didn't question further.

"Now you two are just going to read me fairy-tales until they get back," Ciel fingered the edge of his blanket.

"We were, but..." Edward moved the tray aside and sat down on Ciel's bed. "Something is obviously troubling you. Why don't you tell your favourite cousin what's wrong?" He pointed to himself with a grin.

"Nobody believes me. My parents are dead, Ciel and I were sold to some cult, he died, and I escaped! Elizabeth is my fiancée, Sieglinde and Diedrich aren't related, and you despise me!" It all poured out of Ciel in an instant. "I suddenly woke up and everything was like this,"

"I despise you?" Edward asked in genuine surprise. "The only person I could ever dislike is...never mind. The important thing is that this is your life! Just rid all thoughts of that nightmare from your mind!"

"It wasn't a dream," Ciel mumbled. "And even if it was, what then? Am I just supposed to easily settle back into a life like this that's so drastically different from what I've known?"

Sieglinde awkwardly fingered the page edges of her books.

Edward remained quiet as well, simply placing a hand on his own head.

"Not to mention, everyone treats me like a child," Ciel added quietly.

Sieglinde placed the empty bowl on Ciel's tray and continued to sit there quietly, as did the boys. Nobody said or did anything for a while until Edward stood back up.

"We're your friends and family, Cedric. We want to help you," He finally admitted.

"What could you two do?" Ciel questioned. "You two seem to be just as coddled as me,"

Sieglinde smiled. "Lady Angelica tells me it's quite improper, but I have a very active mind! If I could, I'd become a chemist! I'm sure Lord Edward and I could figure something out together!"

Edward nodded. "My family has a history of...knowing things. If anyone can figure this out, it'd be me,"

Ciel stared at the two, doubting how helpful they could be but ultimately not questioning it. At least he had some allies in this world, and they weren't the worst allies to have. He remembered Edward as wanting to do anything for his family, and Sieglinde having a very scientifically-minded mind. If the two of them truly wanted to help him, then they could.

"Now then," Sieglinde opened up one of her books with a smile. "The Youth Who Set Out to Learn What Fear Was,"

Ciel slammed his head into his large pillow. It was going to be a long afternoon.

####

He must have fallen asleep, as he woke up to an empty room painted orange and Sebastian barking like mad.

"They must be home," He slowly crawled out of bed and smoothed out his clothes, running into the parlor to greet them.

"We're home!" His brother cheered happily, pulling Ciel into a tight hug. "I hope you didn't miss us too much,"

"Did you enjoy your afternoon?" Rachel smiled kindly. "That milk soup was my idea. It always cheers me up when I'm ill,"

"I refuse to be confined to my room any longer," Ciel stated in a serious tone. "I am not ill, therefore, I would like the freedom to explore,"

Vincent frowned slightly. "You may not be ill, but one can not deny that you have frail health. Your mother and I are just looking out for you,"

"I can function just fine on my own,"

"But what if you overwork yourself? Then you'll die early on and leave me all alone!" His brother suddenly cried. "We've been together since birth, it'd be selfish of you to die without me..."

Rachel clasped her hands together. "Cedric is right, we've been ignoring him for the past few days, haven't we?" She sighed. "Especially since he'll be off to Weston soon and we won't see him until the end of summer...would you like to scrapbook with me?"

"Scrapbooking?" Ciel asked in confusion. When had his mother ever taken up such a hobby?

She nodded. "Yes, I have lots of cute books full of pictures of us. Some are even coloured by Ciel, Elizabeth, you, and Sieglinde!"

Scrapbooking would be a way to get his mind off things, as well as see how much had changed in his life throughout the years. He found himself nodding.

"Wonderful! Follow me then!" She led Ciel to her bedroom and into a smaller room that smelt of pine and rose. He felt drowsy and comforted by the scent. "My craft room," She reminded him, and Ciel noticed a large easel set up for painting as well as a writing desk, sewing corner, and sitting area. He somehow knew Rachel spent countless hours in that very room, strengthening her womanly skills.

Rachel soon found a stack of recent scrapbooks all dressed in green foil and set them on the coffee table, motioning for Ciel to sit beside her. He did so, taking in her usual ponytail and dark red graham dress.

"Which one would you like to work on?" She asked politely, spreading them all out. They were all dated by year.

"What was the last one we worked on?" He asked instead, looking them all over.

"This one," She pointed to a smaller one labeled '1887'.

"That one then,"

She smiled and moved the other ones aside, pulling it open. "Look, you've coloured a lot of these before," She moved closer to Ciel as she showed him the pictures.

Many were indeed messily coloured-in, but Ciel didn't care about that. He could only watch in increasing discomfort as the pictures grew more personal; detailing a life that was not his.

"You and Ciel's first day at Weston!" Rachel pointed to the picture proudly. In it, Ciel looked nervous in his baggy uniform while his brother smiled proudly. "Edward took that one,"

Somehow he believed it.

"This one is cute," She giggled as she pointed to a picture of Sieglinde and Diedrich both looking overwhelmed when they were confronted by a large table of dinner; Vincent smiled in the background behind a slice of cake.

Another was of Elizabeth and his brother on a simple spring picnic; her face was partially hidden by her parasol so her expression was hard to read.

Eventually, Ciel looked away, making Rachel concerned.

"Cedric? Are you alright? Do you feel sick?" She started to check his temperature before he wiggled away.

"I'm fine! Just...overwhelmed by the memories,"

"I understand. Some of these memories are quite hard to recall. That's why I'm happy I took up scrapbooking when I did," She pulled some lilacs out of her pocket. "Here,"

"What do I do with these?" He asked.

"Press them onto whichever page you want, leave them for a bit, then they'll leave a beautiful print," She smiled.

Ciel was quite positive that wasn't how that worked, but he bit back that comment and did as he was told, pressing the lilacs onto random pages that featured Sieglinde or Elizabeth. Rachel watched over happily.

"There," He announced, swallowing down another cough. Rachel smiled at his work.

"Those pages will look beautiful now, all because of you," She pinched his cheek, making him flinch. "Now come on, time for bed,"

"Already? What about dinner?" He asked in surprise.

"Do you feel like eating dinner?"

"No, but-"

"Then dinner's not for you," Rachel helped him up. "No sense in making you overeat and get an upset stomach, right?"

Ciel simply stared at her as she led him into his bedroom and sent for a maid to undress him. He still wasn't very comfortable with a stranger touching him, but found he was too tired to resist as she gently slipped a white nightshirt onto him, then tucked him in.

"Good night!" She smiled as she turned out the light.

As Ciel fell asleep, he became aware of the dark feeling in his presence again, but was unable to find a source as his eyelids grew heavy and he fell asleep.

####

Edward gently closed the snaps on Frances' suitcase, sighing a bit in relief. "I finished packing everything, Mother," He told her, while Frances nodded in approval.

"Good job," She said.

"It's always so sad when we have to leave Ciel and Cedric!" Elizabeth cried. "I always find myself counting down the days until we can return!"

"That's what Lady Sieglinde is for! To keep you company throughout the school year!" Alexis reminded her with a smile.

"Yes, my dear friend...but Big Brother is lucky! He gets to see them all-year-round!"

"It's more of a curse than a blessing," Edward sighed.

"I do wonder what's gotten into Cedric's head as of late, accusing everyone of things they haven't done and just being rude in general," Frances commented in an annoyed tone.

"Likely just spring fever. His asthma gets bad around this time of year, he could just be delirious," Alexis soothed her.

"Delirious without a fever though?"

"I'll talk to him after we go back to school. I'm sure once he's away from everyone and is less overwhelmed, he'll go back to normal," Edward said confidently, though inside he wasn't too sure. For someone as sweet and compassionate as Cedric was normally to suddenly turn distant and uptight was quite worrying, and Edward wasn't sure if there even was an answer.

#####

"May you please read me a fairy-tale?" Sieglinde asked Diedrich nicely as a maid tucked her into bed. She wore a simple nightgown with a matching bonnet tinted orange.

"I think we've already read every single book the Phantomhives have," Diedrich responded.

"I don't care! I love them a lot!"

"How about I just tell one from memory then? I need to leave soon," He sat at her bedside.

"Yes!"

"Which one?"

"Rapunzel!"

Diedrich then began to tell her the story, gently kissing her forehead and turning out the lights when she fell asleep in the middle of it.

####

"Cedric is really not acting like himself lately. I'm really worried," Rachel took out her earrings as she prepared herself for bed. They were simple ones; white pearls. "He's not sick, but...even earlier when we were scrapbooking, he didn't seem into it. He flinched at my touch and generally seemed out-of-it,"

Vincent nodded, sitting in his chair reading a book. "I agree. Though he's always been a sensitive child. That nightmare he had about us likely scared him senseless,"

"But...is it really normal for someone to be distant and flinchy after a nightmare?" Rachel stared off at nothing.

"He'll be off to Weston in a day or two and off our hands. The return will be good for him, surrounded by other boys his age and not feeling overwhelmed by Lady Sieglinde or Lady Elizabeth," He turned a page.

"I suppose, but...he's my son! I'm worried about him," She picked up her hairbrush, then set it back down.

"Easy now," Vincent was at her side in a minute, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Don't overexcite yourself and get sick,"

Rachel leaned into his touch. "Sorry...maybe I really am overthinking this. Maybe by the time Cedric returns for summer break, he'll be back to normal," She smiled. "That's something to look forward to,"


	4. Yet Another Day

Ciel was up even before his twin was and nervously rubbed his eyes, recalling today was the day the Midfords would return home. That thought filled him with a small twinge of sadness; if the Midfords were gone, then that meant the Diedrichs would be next and then he'd have to go to school again-!

He got out of bed and saw the outfit of the day was a flouncy brown playsuit with bows at the neck and waist. He stuck his tongue out at it involuntarily. The colour was ugly and the amount of bows was silly. Yet he knew he still had to wear it.

He coughed heavily just before the maid came in and smiled, waking up his twin and helping the two get dressed. Ciel stared into the mirror again after getting dressed, still bewildered at the sight of two aqua eyes twinkling back at him and not just one.

"I bet Lizzy arranged a special breakfast for us today!" His brother smiled eagerly, making Ciel nod.

"Maybe," He started to cough heavily again before hurrying after his brother, slowing down his run because he suddenly felt a bit dizzy.

"Morning!" Rachel greeted brightly as the twins arrived at the table. "Elizabeth wanted us to have a special breakfast today in her honor!"

"I knew it!" His brother gasped before nudging Ciel and whispering: "That makes it sound like she's dead,"

"What's for breakfast?" He asked instead, smiling nervously.

"It would ruin the surprise!" Rachel scolded.

The Diedrichs showed up for breakfast next; Sieglinde pulling Ciel into a large hug the moment she saw him.

"Good morning!" She chirped. Diedrich frowned a bit at the display but said nothing.

A few minutes later, the Midfords arrived, and no sooner did they sit down did a large group of servants arrive, placing the breakfast on the table.

"A smorgasbord!" Sieglinde gasped, her eyes sparkling.

Elizabeth smiled a bit. "Yes, my family wanted to give everyone a little bit of their favourite breakfast food, so..." She folded her hands into her lap.

Even Ciel was impressed by the large variety offered, even hot chocolate, though as he reached for some strawberries and cream, he felt his stomach sort-of flip-flop and he forced himself to lean back in his seat.

"Is something wrong?" Rachel asked immediately, staring at him.

"I'm fine! Just...a bit overwhelmed," Ciel shook his head, reaching for the strawberries anyway. He then had some hot chocolate with them and managed to drink a few sips before his stomach flipped again, making him bulge out his cheeks in surprise.

"You_ really_ don't look good," Rachel warned. "Why don't you go back to bed? I promise the Midfords won't be offended,"

"I feel fine," Ciel declined again, trying to sip more of the drink but finding he had little appetite. "I want to be here to see them off..." Right as he picked up his fork to start eating, his stomach painfully flipped and he placed his other hand on it before he was forced to drop the fork and cover his mouth.

"Cedric?"

"Cedric!"

Both parents shouted at once as Ciel pushed his chair out from under the table and vomited; the puke landing in his lap and chest from inbetween his fingers. Nobody moved or spoke as Ciel continued to cough, tears coming to his eyes.

Of _course_ he had to throw up. Of_ course_ he did. The final straw was that; now they would never take him seriously again. It wasn't even the puking he had a problem with, he had puked many times before on his various missions. But at those times, it had mainly just been him and Sebastian who bore witness to it. Even when he was younger, his brother tended to be the only one who saw. But today, it was practically his whole family.

His face burned red; from embarrassment or fever? Ciel couldn't tell. His throat burned and the vomit cooled on his clothes, leaving a stain.

"Cedric? Sweetheart? Can you please stand up for me? Or do you need your father to carry you?" Rachel's voice finally reached him, and he looked over at her.

"...Mother...?" He croaked out. She nodded. "I-I...I'm not sick..." He tried to manage before he coughed again and vomited, this time on the floor. He barely missed her dress.

"I know sweetheart, I know. You likely just became stressed-out," She gently rubbed his head. "I'll get a servant to clean this all up,"

"I...I...would like to take a bath," He managed, just barely controlling his sudden urge to bury himself in her chest.

She nodded. "A bath would be good," She helped him stand up and he shakily walked over to the bathroom; he somehow managed to get himself undressed and lowered into the tub. He shivered despite the hot water.

Rachel left him alone after taking away the dirty clothes and promising she'd just be a call away if he needed her, but Ciel still couldn't shake the shame he felt. If he had to get sick, why couldn't it have been while he was stuck at Weston? Then his parents wouldn't have had to see what a child they clearly still thought he was. He sighed a bit and leaned back in the water, still shivering. He knew he was expected to actually wash himself clean, but he had little energy to do much else aside from just rest. Surely his parents would understand, right?

He laid there in the tub for a while until he felt sufficiently clean and called for Rachel, who arrived just a minute later with a towel and clean pajamas.

"Up you go!" She teased as she lifted Ciel out of the tub and gently wrapped the towel around his figure, letting him lean against her. His skin felt hotter after the bath and the room spun slightly. He tightly clung onto her dress as she led him into his bedroom and back to bed. "Just lay here," She slipped the nightshirt onto his figure and tucked him into bed, leaving him there. Ciel would've complained about the childish treatment if the room wasn't spinning rapidly, forcing him to catch his breath.

"Make it stop...please.." He panted, burying his face in his pillow in the hopes it'd help. Maybe he could just fall back asleep.

#####

Rachel returned to the breakfast table, taking her seat and smiling at everyone. "He will be perfectly fine. If he's not better by tomorrow, we'll postpone his return to Weston,"

"Will you send for your sister?" Vincent asked curiously.

"I suppose it depends on how bad he is," She responded softly.

Sieglinde anxiously glanced back at the hallway, pouting.

"Sweetheart, I am sure he's alright. Why don't you finish your breakfast?" Diedrich coaxed her, referring to the large helping of eggs and sausage still on her plate, next to a big bowl of cereal.

"Hm..." She responded, still staring at the hallway.

Elizabeth folded her hands in her lap politely, suddenly having no appetite. Her fiancé smiled at her.

"Lizzy, why are you so upset all of a sudden? Cedric gets sick a lot, it's a fact. You're acting as though he is on death's door!" He laughed, stabbing a strawberry on her plate. The red juice leaked out onto the spotless white plate and ran down; she stared at that curiously.

"I am just thinking of all of the nice dresses that will come into my possession soon. Mother spoke of expanding my summer collection and I am very excited," She forced a sweet smile onto her face.

"I know, Aunt Frances always picks out the best dresses, does she not?" He offered the strawberry to her and she slowly ate it off the fork.

Edward frowned at that, but still said nothing.

"It tastes delicious," Elizabeth told her fiancé, pushing her plate away. "Please pardon me, Aunt Rachel and Uncle Vincent. I'd like to be excused early," She curtsied in her seat, and her relatives nodded. She quickly slid from her seat, walking from the room. Once she was sure she was out of sight, she started to run, picking up her skirts so she could run easier. She still had quite a bit of energy left once she reached Cedric's room; she pushed the door open.

He was already asleep when she arrived, as she expected. She knelt beside him and placed a hand on his forehead, frowning at how hot he was.

"...Cedric," She mumbled. "Why...do you seem so...strange?" She asked herself. "You're like a stranger. I feel different too...as if...something's wrong,"

Cedric didn't respond, just rolled over in his sleep slightly. She remained standing by his side, trying to place a name on the feelings she currently felt. Her heart fluttered, though she wasn't sure if it was due to love or just familiarity.

"Lizzy? Where are you?" Edward's voice called out. "There you are! Come on, you might get sick if you're in here much longer!" He scolded, taking her hand and hurrying her out. She took a brief glance back at Cedric.

"Big Brother...have you ever had a moment of thought, that...maybe you're in the wrong world? That something went wrong and how things are...aren't the way they're supposed to be?" Her features darkened slightly as Edward stared at her, recalling what Cedric told him the previous afternoon.

"Every so often," He lied, leading her out of the twins' bedroom.

What was going on? It was expected for Cedric to be a bit loopy, but Elizabeth? She was always the more level-headed and grounded of the family, evenmoreso than their mother.

Edward frowned a bit. He needed to get to the bottom of things quickly, him and Sieglinde both. Something was clearly troubling the family. Something had clearly happened to Cedric a few days ago to make him distant. But what? He wasn't sure he even wanted to find out, but he promised himself he would.

For his family.

######

Ciel woke up the next morning with a heavy body and a slightly-dizzy outlook on life, but otherwise perfectly fine. He frowned at that, upset that whatever illness he suddenly had was gone in just a day. He had to be treated like a child for almost no reason.

Still, there was much to do that day. If he remembered correctly, the Midfords would be taking their leave, and he assumed that since he was feeling fine, he'd have to go see them off.

His brother was nowhere to be seen, but a light blue sailor suit had been laid out for him. He got out of bed and took it off the rack, eyeing it wearily. Why were his parents' fashion choices for him and his brother so childish?

"Good morning!" The straw-haired maid smiled as she walked inside. "You woke up a bit late, but you were sick yesterday, so the Earl and Countess told me it was fine," She nodded towards the suit. "Need some help?"

Ciel flinched again, but knew arguing with the maid would get him nowhere, so he nodded numbly and stood rigidly as the maid eagerly buttoned him up into the suit.

"Do you have an appetite?" She asked kindly, but Ciel shook his head. "Alright. Everyone is in the parlor,"

Were they awaiting him? He sort-of hoped they weren't.

"Morning!" Rachel smiled happily when he walked into the room, motioning him over to her seat.

"Are you feeling better?" Vincent asked as Ciel gingerly sat next to his mother.

"A little." He said quietly.

"It's always so sad when we have to leave!" Elizabeth began, looking on the verge of tears. "I always miss Ciel and Cedric and Sieglinde, my dear friend..."

"When will you guys come see us again?" His brother asked politely.

"Most likely around the holiday season," Frances commented. "Only for a day or two though, since we have plans of traveling this year,"

"Oh! Where are you going?" Sieglinde asked happily.

"We don't know yet," Alexis said. "We're still in the process of deciding,"

Elizabeth hurried over to Sieglinde and pulled her into a tight hug; the two girls laughed when Frances pulled her away. She then nodded politely at her fiancé and patted Ciel's head.

"See you later," Edward nodded politely at the boys. Right, he still had to attend Weston with them.

"You should visit Germany!" Sieglinde smiled. "There's a really fancy Christmas market they do every year, and everyone is all dressed up in their traditional clothes..!"

"We'll consider it!" Alexis beamed.

"It was pleasant getting together, as it always is," Frances said stiffly. "I hope that you take my words of advice to heed," She shot Vincent a pointed glance, then motioned her children over to her. "Come along, let us wait for our carriage outside,"

"Goodbye!"

"So long!"

"See you soon!"

"Come back!" Everyone waved to each other as the Midfords headed outside. Ciel waved back shyly as well, feeling a sinking in his stomach. At least Sieglinde and Diedrich were still visiting, though he knew that wouldn't be for much longer either.

"What are our plans for today?" His brother asked boredly once the Midfords had left. "I can't remember for the life of me,"

"Have you boys even started packing yet? You're leaving for Weston in just a day or two," Vincent reminded them. "I suggest you spend all of your day doing that instead,"

"But..." Ciel gave Sieglinde an unreadable expression.

"You'll see each other at dinner!" Rachel promised, ushering the twins into their bedroom.

"She's right. Focus on packing," Vincent scolded them, and the twins nodded and headed back into their room. Ciel already felt out-of-breath, especially as he remembered what one was expected to pack for a semester at a boarding school.

"Why do we have to pack all of our things ourselves?" His brother pouted a bit as he glanced around the room.

"Because...they're our things...?" Ciel blinked, confused by the implication.

"What are you going to bring?" His brother asked instead, sitting on his bed and making no move to pack his things.

"...Maybe some books...? They have a library there, but it doesn't have the sorts of things I like," Ciel thought about it. "Clothes obviously..."

"It's hard, isn't it? They provide us with pretty much everything we could need," The twin laughed. "If we were younger, I'd probably suggest toys or something similar,"

Ciel found a light green traveling case placed under the bed, so he dragged it out and unclasped it, pulling it open. He glanced around the room, trying to figure out what else he'd even need to bring aside from clothing. His brother remained sitting on their bed, watching him carefully. The sharp gaze made Ciel falter inwardly. Did he somehow suspect something was wrong? It made sense to tell Edward and Sieglinde; he knew they'd keep his secret due to how close they supposedly were in this new world. But his brother still acted the same as he had always remembered and thus he didn't have a lot of trust towards him.

Besides, his brother was always a bit more logical and calculating than him. He wouldn't believe such a story.

"Do we have any school-books we need to bring back?" Ciel asked softly, trying to pry without seeming confused. His brother nodded.

"Yes. It's really strange how we bring them home even though we do not receive homework over holiday," He played with a strand of his hair. "It's a rule, I believe."

"They're in Father's study, right?" That seemed to be the most logical place for them. He didn't recall seeing any on the small shelf in their room.

"Nope, they're right here," The twin motioned over to the bookshelf, tossing several books at him that Ciel managed to barely dodge. He snickered. "You were supposed to catch those!"

"You weren't supposed to throw them at me!" Ciel shot back, going over to retrieve them. There were two identical copies of almost every book aside from a few. It was obvious he had more artsy classes, while his brother was taking more serious, business-oriented ones. Still, Ciel was a bit jarred by seeing not a single one of his spoke about business. Did this version of him really have no desire or drive to make his own business?

The twin pulled some clothes out of the wardrobe, laying them a bit haphazardly into his green bag. Strange how Ciel got the bigger suitcase and his brother just got a simple bag, but he couldn't dwell on that now.

A few books boasted they were for second-years, confirming Ciel's thoughts. If they started at Weston the year they turned twelve, as the pictures Rachel had suggested, then it made perfect sense for them to be second-years at that point. Was Edward still an eighth-year? He supposed that made sense as well.

Ciel stacked the books up neatly and set them down in his suitcase, making sure to spread them out evenly so he could still close the suitcase, feeling his brother's eyes on him constantly. He finally stood up and looked back at him.

"Wow, it seems as though you are already done," His brother smirked a bit, looking into the suitcase. "I thought you'd have more,"

"What else do I need? Just our clothes and books," Ciel responded back levelly.

"Hm...maybe...some sort of...weapon, to prevent yourself...from...getting...attacked!" His brother yelled, pouncing on Ciel and beginning to tickle him really roughly. "Tickle tickle tickle! I'm tickling you!"

"Stop, stop!" Ciel protested in annoyance, gasping for breath as his brother tickled him faster.

"You're being tickled!" He laughed, finally stopping and pulling away when Ciel took a shaky breath, coughing. "Are you sure you are well enough to go back to Weston with us?"

"Yes," Ciel nodded.

"Mother and Father would understand if you attended a day or two late. You do sometimes," His brother continued, staring him down. "Too much excitement all at once,"

"I'm perfectly fine. I can attend Weston tomorrow with you and Edward." Ciel stared back at his twin, trying to figure out his logic. "It's the first day, after all. We likely won't be made to do much work."

"If you say so," The twin shook his hand at Ciel before walking out. "I'll have a servant tend to my things later,"

Ciel watched him go, not saying anything else. Why was he so determined to keep him home? Did he have some sort of ulterior motive? Regardless, Ciel wouldn't give his brother that satisfaction. He'd attend Weston when he was supposed to, and figure out what had happened to him and Sebastian in the meantime.

#####

Ciel refused to eat dinner again that night, finding he had very little appetite once again. He knew all the days of barely eating would eventually catch up to him, but he could deal with that later. He needed to focus. He still hadn't met Madam Red yet and her version in this universe; he assumed he'd likely see her over the holiday. Or if he got extremely ill again, but that wasn't a preferable option.

A soft knock at the door got his attention, but instead of answering it, he threw his head down on his desk. A million questions with barely any answers.

"Sweetheart?" Rachel's worried voice reached his ears as she quietly walked over to him and placed a hand on his head. "You haven't been eating with your family lately,"

"I know," He wasn't used to eating with multiple people at all. Even when his family were alive still; he was isolated and quarantined more often than not and ate meals alone in his room. "I haven't had much of an appetite lately,"

"Are you nervous about going back to Weston? You shouldn't be. Your best friends will be standing right in front of those gates, holding up a large sign that reads: 'Welcome Back, C. Phantomhive!'" She chirped. Ciel stared at her in slight dread.

He'd rather die than suffer such humiliation as that.

"I brought a few things for you," She finally motioned to the tray in her hands. "Milk soup, chicken broth, tea, and for dessert..."

"Chocolate cake...?" Ciel asked in slight disbelief, eyeing that. It stuck out to him and shone in a way nothing else on the tray did, not even the tea.

"Only if you feel like it, and only after you eat everything else," Rachel warned as she set the tray down. She then ruffled Ciel's hair. "I hope you have a good night's sleep,"

"Mother," He called out as she turned to leave. "Um...how is Father doing with his work?"

Rachel continued to smile sweetly. "He's doing perfectly fine," She then left the room.

As soon as Rachel had left, Ciel picked up the silver fork on the tray and dig into the chocolate cake, ignoring the rest of the food. The gooey sweetness and richness of the cake left a burning ache in his stomach that he ignored. He recognized the taste of the cake and devoured every single bite. He even ate the remaining crumbs off the plate, glad he was alone. He didn't even realize that he had ever missed the taste of an ooey-gooey chocolate cake before.


	5. Starting School

For the first time that week, Ciel woke up entirely on his own instead of being coaxed awake by a maid, which was something he felt strangely happy about. He rubbed his eyes and noticed two starched uniforms hanging up on the rack; identical except one was scarlet, the other cerulean.

Time to spend several draining months at Weston. It would be bad enough on its own, but Ciel knew it would be infuriating with how much he still needed to do and everything he had to figure out.

And he had friends even, somehow. They would be hard to fool or pretend around. How could he sneak around to learn more information if they were always following him around?

No time for that now. He slowly got out of bed and stared at the uniform, running his hands down it. It was just like his old one he wore as a disguise back in the day. There was no flower pinned to the breast, only a blue-stained emblem of the school.

After the maid got him and his brother dressed, the two joined their parents at the table for breakfast.

"You two look sharp!" Rachel praised.

"You two don't have much time to eat, so you better hurry," Vincent warned.

Ciel nodded and managed to swallow down a few bites of eggs and sausages, feeling the grease wrap around his belly. He anxiously drank some tea to relieve it.

"The second semester is always more entertaining than the first," His brother commented. "The classes are lax, we have several breaks, and that annual cricket tournament too,"

Right, it was in June. At least Ciel had two months to prepare for that.

"Ah, that legendary cricket game. They say Sapphire Owl hasn't won a game in thirty years, when I finally brought my team to glory," Vincent mused.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were leading up to something," His brother laughed as he finished eating. "Come on, Cedric! I want us to get there early!" He yanked on Ciel's arm.

"What happens if we get there early?" Ciel blinked in confusion.

"Nothing. But being the first for everything is enticing, right?"

"I can't believe it! My fiancé is leaving me alone! It's your baby though!" Sieglinde sobbed dramatically as she hugged Ciel tightly.

"You're...you're not with child," Ciel said lamely, gently pushing her off.

Diedrich stared calmly at the brothers as they were handed their bags and sat in the carriage. Sieglinde waved eagerly at both, while Rachel waved a bit gently and Vincent just smiled. Ciel's brother reached out of the carriage window and waved back to everyone, while Ciel just sat back and looked outside, nursing the sickly feeling of anticipation in his stomach.

The carriage began to trot off merrily, and his brother leaned back in his own seat with a sigh. "Goodness, I thought they'd never stop waving,"

"It's an exciting time for them," Ciel responded to make conversation.

"So? This is our second year at Weston, not our first. They can relax a little,"

"Um, is there anyone you are excited to see...?"

"Not particularly. Almost everyone at Weston bores me. Even the people in my House are boring." He scoffed. "Still, a lot of people still think they're friends with me,"

Ciel blinked, unsure of how to comment.

"Better than who you have for friends. Those two follow you around like they are lost in the desert, and you are a river," He smirked.

"They are loyal..." Who even were his friends at school? Several possibilities ran through his head, and each one was worse than the last.

"Yeah. I suppose that's a word for it,"

"We have arrived, my lords," The footman responded as he carefully helped the two out of their seats. Ciel awkwardly rolled the green suitcase off the seat and down the cobbled path, looking around at the green courtyard.

"I suppose I'll see you later," His brother brushed past him as he walked off, disappearing into one of the buildings.

Ciel couldn't quite remember how the schedule was supposed to go, but he also didn't want to stand around foolishly, so he hightailed it over to a bench and sat down, putting on a show of checking his belongings.

Edward either hadn't arrived yet or hadn't seen him, and that suited him just fine. He needed absolutely no distractions as he tried to piece together what his next plan of action should be-

"Phantomhive! Phantomhive!" A familiar and energetic voice shouted at him.

Oh, goodness, no.

"Phantomhive!" The face of Norman Mcmillian soon caught up to the voice as he rushed towards Ciel in a frenzy, books about to fall out of his arms. "I wanted to greet you when you arrived, but I couldn't see your carriage! The madness! Anyway, we have a lot to catch up on, right?"

"...Y-You should give him a break. He just arrived here," A timid voice scolded Mcmillian lightly, and Ciel looked over to see the trembling form of Joanne Harcourt, clutching his own stack of books.

They seemed awfully familiar with him, which meant...

These two must've been his mysterious Weston friends.

Norman made sense; they had a connection, however small it was, months ago when Ciel infiltrated the school. They were the same age, from the same House; if they were outcasts, it made sense. Joanne, on the other hand, was a complete mystery. He was a year older than Ciel was, and a member of Scarlet Fox. Maybe he too, was just clinging to the first person he saw with no friends and they all took it from there.

"Right! We have to get our schedules for the new semester, and set up our dorms, and learn who we're going to be Fag to...!" Norman gasped. "There is absolutely no time to talk at all!" He jumped up and yanked on Ciel's arm, tugging him along. Joanne hurried after them.

"Um, I actually just came from getting my schedule..." He reached into his bag and pulled out the paper, holding it in front of his face. "Lord Whitehall gave it to me,"

"So our Dormitory Masters are giving them to us this year? Makes perfect sense!" Norman nodded. "Then let's head in that direction, Phantomhive!"

"I just got here. Don't you think we should take it a bit slow?" Ciel asked slowly. He swallowed down a cough.

"Today's a rest day! We will have plenty of time to rest later!" Norman insisted.

Joanne followed them for a little bit longer before they approached the entrance for Sapphire Owl and split off, running in another direction.

"If he's from another House, why do you allow him to be so close to us?" Ciel asked without thinking.

"Well, we can trust Harcourt, right? I mean, think back to how you met him!"

"I'm recovering from a fever. Jog my memory," Not technically a lie.

"He kind of owes his life to you. And you did a noble thing. Your first year here, we were all taken out to go ice-skating on the Thames to celebrate the season. Harcourt kept to himself and skated near the edges. But then, another member from Scarlet Fox grabbed him and threw him close to the middle. He was shaken up and laid there as the ice cracked around him. You noticed what was happening before anyone else did, even your brother, and you skated over and yanked him off the ice before he fell in. Ever since then, he has been eternally grateful," Norman nodded at the end of his story.

"Was that student expelled?" Ciel questioned. It didn't really seem like something he'd do, but he did recall saving Joanne in his own universe from getting eaten by a zombified Derrick. So perhaps it wasn't that far-fetched of an idea after all.

"I'm actually not sure," Norman thought about it. "They were at least suspended,"

"They should've been expelled," Ciel mumbled to himself as he continued to follow Norman. Everything was a blur as he received his schedule and Fag information. The only thing he really registered was that he'd be sharing a dorm with Norman; apparently, for the second time that year.

"Who's our Dormitory Master?" He finally asked Mcmillian after a lull in their unpacking.

"You don't remember? Mr. Tiwise," Mcmillian responded as he set some books on his bookshelf carefully. "He's the one Sapphire Owl has had for the longest,"

Ciel sat down on his bed as he mulled over that thought. Not Sebastian, clearly. So maybe Sebastian wasn't at the school? It certainly didn't seem like a place he'd willingly involve himself in.

Most of his side was decorated already; painted a faint pastel green with a small bookshelf. Lots of pictures of him with his family or Sieglinde were on the walls. He brought no other decorations with him, thus he didn't need to spend any more time on it like his roommate.

"I'm going to the library," He announced, not bothering to look back at Norman. He didn't even catch what he said before the door shut. He maintained his composure for the whole walk, looking around at the tall, expansive shelves.

Where on Earth would he even begin? What he sought answers about was something that only existed in fiction. He still didn't fully believe that a measly wish on one small star caused all of this.

But what other answer was there?

Perhaps he had finally died in his sleep one night and this was his eternal life. An involuntary shudder ran down his spine as he reached the more fantastical fiction part of the library.

He slowed his pace and pulled some books off the shelf that caught his eye, carrying them in his arms and hurrying over to a random nearby empty table. He was suddenly thankful the library was quiet and empty of students. He placed the rest of the books in a pile as he pulled open the one on top, reading through the content table and flipping through a few pages.

_M. Strider reported being quite disoriented and confused for a few days after making a wish and seemingly hitting his head the same night before waking up in a world different from his own where his beloved sister never died. After those few days, his memories had begun to change into memories of that world. He still retained his old ones and they lived alongside the new ones. However, M. was also reported to have heavily dabbled in natures of the occultic type and was found dead a few weeks later, his poisoned body afloat in the Thames as a disposal method. His sister still remains missing._

_A. Rutt claimed to have wished upon a star on a random whim on a certain night. Upon waking up the next day, he found himself in a new world where he was married to his childhood sweetheart and inherited the family business instead of his brother, who had evidently died in this world. He reported gaining new memories of this life after a few days that existed among his older memories. Unfortunately, A. was found strangled to death in his bed after nearly a month. Further investigations into the case found he was a frequent opium user and dabbler in occultic rituals; his wife later described him as 'a greedy soul who was willing to summon a beast from the depths of Hell if it meant succeeding in his work,' As of the time of this report, his wife is unable to be found to comment further._

_S. Adams said after she wished on a star for a different life, she randomly grew ill and fainted; when she came to, her life had been changed for the better. Her husband was a kind man, her parents were still alive, and she had a child and remained fertile, unlike in her old world where she was rendered infertile due to an accident. After a few disorientating days, she found new memories had come to her, along with her older ones from her previous world. After a few months, her maid admitted to stabbing her and burying her in the grounds of her husband's estate; the maid in question was arrested immediately. Further investigation found she was a member of an occultic group focused on reanimating the dead; her maid escaped from prison and vanished into the night, leaving behind a note written in blood on her cell wall that simply read: 'I am not who you_ think I am. I am not human, nor am I from this world,' Officials are still searching for her. The husband and child were also unable to be found for comment.

A loud thump at the back of the library made Ciel jump, which he instantly scolded himself for. His hands flew to his pocket quickly, grasping at air. He widened his eyes. His gun was missing!

He silently stood and folded the books up into other shelves, stepping lightly back to his dorm. The halls were dark and filled with shadows, while the actual school grounds were covered in a murky, claustrophobic darkness. An owl hooted somewhere.

Ciel hurried back to his dorm, silently shutting the door and blinking at the dimmed candle by his bedside. Norman must've left it there for him when he returned so he could see his bed.

He picked up the candle, marveling at how low it had burned. Was he really gone for that long? He walked over to Norman's mirror and just gazed at himself.

His hand slowly moved towards his face, running down the smooth surface. He rested that same hand briefly on his hair, playing with it. It fell in a certain way; the fringe parted back to the right to almost partially cover up his eye.

Two pristine blue eyes blinked back at him, wide and full of confusion. Neither was marred by a contract mark.

Next, he brought his hand over to his earlobes and gently squeezed one, feeling the smooth, unbroken surface. No earrings.

Finally, he swallowed back a shudder and threw up his jacket and shirt, tightening his grip on the candle as he craned his neck to look at the side. He ran his hand down that surface as well, feeling unbroken, soft skin. He bit back a gasp when he expected to feel the remains of burnt blisters on his back and came up with nothing.

He nervously brought his hand up and touched the mirror, the shadows cast by the candle making his features appear longer.

What did those reports mean? Everyone had made a wish similar to his in an identical way. After a few days, they recalled their wishful lives. Then, in the span of a few weeks to a few months, they were killed in brutal ways, their lives seemingly back to normal. Everyone had some sort of tie to the occult or darker side of England. Ciel would never admit it, but those coincidences scared him. There had to be some sort of way to reverse everything before he got killed.

An inky shadow rose up behind Ciel's reflection, and he raised the candle up slightly to reveal two glowing red eyes. A wet hand grabbed Ciel's shoulder roughly, making him scream and drop the candle. Flames trickled out onto the floor, as the hand snaked around and muffled Ciel's mouth before he could scream again.

And that was when everything went dark for him.


	6. School Days

"I could've helped you get to bed if I knew you'd be _that_ clumsy while tired!" Norman gasped, acting far too cheerful and forgiving for the current situation.

The night, normally darkened in a way that made even traversing across the lawn an impossible feat, was currently lit up by the orange tongues of flame coming off the dorm section of Sapphire Owl. The fire was loud and lapped at the sky hungrily; it was amazing only half of the dorms on the first floor had been lost.

Ciel didn't respond and instead hugged himself tightly, feeling far too cold in the midnight air. He shivered. He still recalled that wet, inky hand forcing itself down his throat, into his mouth, reaching down further and further until his entire innards were just leaking that black, disgusting ooze-

"Thank goodness nobody was hurt," Joanne hurried over to Ciel and Norman, a smile on his face. "They must've noticed it early,"

"What are you doing here?" Ciel asked instead.

"They evacuated all of the other Houses for safety reasons,"

"Oh my, it's such a shame something like this had to happen on our first day back, hm? It makes sense that it's from _your_ House...but are you okay?" The twin asked curiously as he walked over to Ciel, trying to grab him. Ciel managed to dodge. "From here, you don't look burned at all! That's good. It'd be very bad indeed if you got badly burned!"

"I never expected a lone wolf like you of all people to freak out and set your dorm-room ablaze. Are you sure you are truly of sound mind?" Maurice tittered as he twirled a strand of finely-curled hair around on his finger.

Ciel chose to ignore him, looking the other direction. Even in this universe, Maurice was a manipulative jerk who got off on taunting people. He briefly wondered if Maurice and his brother were close friends.

"Only half of the first floor was on fire! That's pretty impressive!" Norman continued on.

"I think Father and Mother should hear about this. It's their right. They were correct, you're too overwhelmed to return to school! You should send them a letter," Ciel's brother suggested. "It's the right thing to do,"

Ciel winced at that thought inwardly. If he did, his parents would be confident in their belief and pull him out, making it nearly impossible for him to continue his research on what happened to him. And what of his mystery attacker? He somehow knew even at home, he wouldn't be safe.

"For once, I agree with him, " Edward was the last one of their group to walk over, also being the only one dressed in a pair of striped pajamas with his blazer thrown on over it. "Uncle Vincent and Aunt Rachel care for you a lot. If something's truly troubling you, they should know,"

"Nothing's troubling me. I just slipped and dropped a candle because something in the mirror startled me," Ciel grumbled. "Accidents happen,"

"Everyone, get with your proper House and form a single-file line in front of your Dormitory Master! When they call out your name, answer immediately in the affirmative!" The Dormitory Master for Scarlet Fox, Lord Whitehall, commanded, still maintaining his poised and regal composure.

Joanne briefly waved to his friends as he walked off, and Edward hurried off in the other direction. Ciel and Norman took their spots in the line as their other dormmates were called.

"Don't the Prefects usually do this?" Ciel found himself whispering as his own Dormitory Master started to call out names.

"They mainly do it during drills. Since it's a real emergency this time, maybe they couldn't assemble them all in time," A third-year behind him whispered back carefully.

"Phantomhive, Cedric!" Mr. Tiwise called out, and Ciel stood up straighter as he answered back. His Dormitory Master was a short but thin man with dark hair and large glasses he stopped to adjust every few minutes. He was the exact kind of character Ciel pictured as being in that position before he infiltrated Weston and got Sebastian to replace the job. He shivered a bit.

"Alright. Sapphire Owl, you may return to your dorms unless you were on the first floor. In that case, please make your way to the spare dormitories that Scarlet Fox have graciously given us permission to use. It has been a long night. In a few day's time, you shall salvage what was left-over from the fire with me and Bluester," Mr. Tiwise continued, adjusting his glasses.

"How long will it take for our dorms to be rebuilt?" A first-year shyly asked.

"Only a few weeks, as the damage was mainly contained. No need to worry,"

"Come on, let's go," Norman eagerly tugged on Ciel's arm, only running off alone when Mr. Tiwise approached them.

"Sir? Am I in trouble?" Ciel asked formally, bowing a bit. "I'm sorry for what I did,"

"No, you are not in trouble. From what I understand, you were startled and dropped the candle on accident. Accidents happen, especially at your age," He began slowly, and Ciel nodded, looking up in surprise.

"I...I can pay for any damages caused. I am truly sorry for all of the inconveniences," He flinched when Mr. Tiwise suddenly placed his hand on his shoulder.

"However, this is not something I can just let alone. I will be sending a letter home to Earl Phantomhive, informing him of your condition. I will also be suggesting that you visit our school's alienist for a few days,"

"Y-You don't have to tell my parents anything!" Ciel gasped out, suddenly feeling very grateful that both Scarlet Fox and Sapphire Owl had already gone back inside. The only Houses left outside were Violet Wolf and Green Lion, who were bustling around to try and put the flames out. "I mean...you said it yourself, it was just an accident. Father won't be very happy at all if you send him a letter that tells him his son dropped a candle on accident," He attempted a smirk, but it looked more strangled as he swallowed down a tickle in his throat.

"Lord Phantomhive, this school has been forgiving of many transgressions of yours, but one thing we will not tolerate are students endangering others because they are found jumping at shadows. Nobody was hurt this time, but what of next time? What if you hurt someone like Duke Harcourt, a friend of yours?"

Ciel finally clenched his fists, looking away from Mr. Tiwise.

"Lord Phantomhive?"

"Yes, sir. I understand. I promise I will be more calm," He gave another bow.

"That is what I wanted to hear!" He adjusted his glasses. "Now hurry along to bed. I have kept you away long enough,"

Ciel did indeed hurry along, finding the inside halls of Scarlet Fox's dorm to be decadently painted in shades of scarlet red and gold. It hurt his eyes to stare for too long. Lots of paintings and decals were arranged neatly on the walls, and suits of armor manned every corner. He finally arrived to his borrowed room and found Norman there, already asleep. Ciel just collapsed into the bed beside Norman's, falling asleep immediately. He felt drained for no real reason at all.

####

Ciel awoke the next morning and hurried to the tea-room, trying to smooth out the wrinkles in his uniform as he went. It didn't need to be perfectly straight, right?

"Cricket practice for the tournament starts today!" Joanne exclaimed happily as he joined Norman and Ciel at a smaller table. "I wonder who will win this year?"

Ciel stirred the tea around in his mug, watching the cream slowly dissolve.

"Wouldn't it be something if Sapphire Owl won again like it did thirty years ago?" Norman asked. "We have a Phantomhive on our side, so it can't be _that_ impossible!"

"No way! I don't mean to brag, but the winners will probably be us again. Us or Green Lion. It's always been," Joanne laughed, sipping his tea.

"Hey, I can dream, you know?" Norman gasped in mock offense, making Joanne laugh more.

"I think we might have a chance," Ciel responded quietly, making them both look over at him. "If I have enough time to prepare..." He still recalled how he did it in his other world; a lot of filthy cheating. But it got the job done, didn't it? He was positive his own father likely did a similar thing in order to get his own team to victory thirty years ago. He subtly glanced at Joanne, watching him happily stirring sugar into his own tea. If he did it, he'd have to not hurt Joanne-

No. Joanne might've been a supposed best friend of his here, but he was likely still one of the best cricket players in the school. If he left him alone, it didn't matter what else he did to the other teams, Joanne would likely still bring his team to victory alone.

"What did Mister Tiwise wish to speak to you about last night?" Norman asked curiously, adjusting his glasses.

"Just that...he's going to send a letter home to my parents," Ciel admitted. "I think he's just overreacting. I got scared and dropped a candle. He even said it himself, accidents happen,"

"Yes, but...you seemed really upset last night," Joanne sighed with wide eyes.

"He's just overreacting, as I said. Everyone coddles me like crazy and I'm starting to get sick of it. I was hoping Weston would give me a break from getting coddled, not coddle me further!" Ciel bitterly sipped at his tea. Norman and Joanne just stared at him helplessly.

"Goodness, look at the underclassmen, all sitting together as it should be," Maurice snickered, walking past the table with his hands on his hips. "They only got into this school because they have brains, unlike status. I suppose that shall suffice,"

"Some of us came from wealth! Like Phantomhive!" Norman shouted, making Ciel jump.

"Perhaps he_ came_ from it, but he's surely not going to inherit it. He's the younger son," Maurice twirled a curl around on his finger.

Joanne awkwardly looked away, sipping his tea anxiously.

"Come on, Cedric, it's nearly time for our first lesson! We have it together, or did you forget?" Ciel's brother popped up at that point, helping Ciel out of his seat.

"Fine, whatever. I don't even remember what it is anyway," He mumbled.

"French!"

Joanne and Norman awkwardly waved to Ciel as he was pulled away, and only then did Ciel finally realize Joanne had a rose clasped to his jacket instead of the regular emblem he and Norman both had.

####

After a grueling day of classes, Fag duties, and cricket practice, Ciel felt about ready to collapse heading back to his temporary housing. His brother caught him and started walking beside him, obvious concern on his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked immediately, and Ciel nodded, swallowing down a tickle in his throat. "Mister Tiwise told me you've been assigned to see an alienist beginning on Friday,"

"Why'd he tell you?" Ciel grumbled.

"Because we're family and he knows how concerned I am over you!" The twin gasped before smiling. "I think those sessions would be good for you. Maybe you'll meet some new friends, ones who don't follow behind you like a diseased mutt,"

"I think it'll just be me and him. Which is good, as I don't want anyone else to know about my sessions. It's already embarrassing enough half of the school thinks I'm crazy and jumping at shadows,"

"Everything will work itself out in the end," His brother patted his shoulder. "Just wait until the cricket game...our whole family will be there. No shadows to jump at there,"

Ciel just flinched and walked into his room, shutting the door in his brother's face. Norman wasn't there yet, so Ciel assumed he was still at the library. Tired, he managed to take his shoes and part of his uniform off before falling into bed again.

He shivered in his sleep that night, dreaming of those inky black tentacles forcing their way down his throat, through his eyes, into his brain, eating away at his body.

When he woke up once more, he was drenched in a cold sweat.


	7. Painting with Joanne

**Author's Note: That's right everyone, this fanfic is finally back! Bet you thought I abandoned this, huh? Nope. I am determined to see this to the end. Much like Ciel himself, this fanfic will never ever die, it will keep rising up up from the dead until it's done!**

**####**

The next morning, after breakfast, the Sapphire Owl students who all had dorms on the first floor were taken out after tea-time to scavenge what was left of their rooms.

Ciel sighed a bit as he managed to recover a portrait; one of Sieglinde wearing a nice summery dress with a bouquet in her lap, smiling up at him lovingly. Ciel himself was standing beside her wheelchair, wearing a playsuit in the same shade of mint green. He stared at it for a while before he folded it up into some uniforms he also managed to find.

"She's a keeper, huh?" A first-year teased Ciel slightly, making him blush lightly. "Some of us are a bit jealous of you...you're already engaged, and to a future Baroness!"

"Yeah...shame she's crippled though," A second-year ran his hand through his hair.

"What does that matter?" Ciel found himself frowning. "She was born that way," He had a sudden memory come to him; a forgotten one, or maybe one from this new world, of his brother teasingly telling him it made since for him to get the perfect fiancee, while he himself was stuck with an imperfect, broken fiancee.

"The girl who won't inherit anything paired with the boy who won't inherit anything!" He had laughed.

Ciel hung his head and carefully placed his belongings in the basket labeled with his name. "That is all," He informed the Prefect because walking off. He caught sight of Joanne practicing cricket by himself while Norman sat on a bench nearby, heavily invested in a book. Ciel sat beside him and watched Joanne for a time.

"You already finished scavenging through your belongings?" Norman asked in disbelief, adjusting his glasses. "Though, I suppose it makes sense. I didn't have much to look for either...just my books and a uniform. But my photo albums were untouched! That's good!"

"Yes, it is..." Ciel sighed a bit and leaned back on the bench, watching Joanne whack at the ball several times in a row. "I found a picture of myself with Sieglinde. I'm sure she'll be happy to know it survived,"

"Yes! Pictures are very valuable commodities! I just wish they weren't made of such easily-damaged material...perhaps one day in the future, they will be made of strong material and we can keep them forever, even if burned or drowned!"

Joanne whacked the ball one final time, shielding his eyes and watching it sail across the length of the yard. He eagerly raced after it.

"Harcourt is a Fag to a Prefect, hm?" Ciel asked randomly to try and probe for more information.

"Yes, isn't that amazing? He was picked by Redmond himself his first day as a second-year. Redmond said only he was fit for the job," Norman gushed. "I keep hoping Bluester will say the same about us next year,"

"I assumed Redmond would pick someone like Cole," Ciel mused.

"Everyone else thought the same. Cole wasn't very happy about it, but he eventually got over it. Harcourt is one of the most diligent of the Prefect Fags. Some upperclassmen even whisper once Redmond graduates, it'll be Harcourt he chooses to succeed him,"

Joanne finally ran back, carrying his equipment. "Are you sure you two don't want to practice too...? It's a nice day out..."

"Converse with the enemy? Never!" Norman exclaimed in a joking matter. "I'll never aid them!"

"It gets awfully boring just hitting the ball back and forth..." Joanne sighed before perking up. "Oh, Phantomhive, how about we go to the art room? You could watch me finish up my watercolour. It's v-very lovely, of a-a little cottage in the forest..."

"No thank you." Ciel declined. Joanne pouted.

"A-Are you sure? Normally you love watching me paint...you say it's relaxing..."

What was with this world's version of him and being sickeningly sweet to everyone? Was there not a soul this version of him disliked?

"Actually..you are correct. Sorry, I still feel a tad out-of-sorts. I would love to watch you paint," Ciel stood up quickly, feigning a smile. "Lead the way,"

Joanne perked up again and happily did so, waving to Norman and quickly explaining where they were going before walking to Violet Wolf's building, sighing a bit.

"All the art classes are here...I always feel spooked when I have to go to mine," Joanne admitted.

"They can't get cross with you for attending class," Ciel said as they walked up the steps and roamed the halls until they reached a small well-lit room with large tables set out. Joanne got a set of paints and sat down, holding out the painting.

"See? I'm almost done with the sky,"

Ciel just nodded and sat across from him, watching Joanne dip his brush into the paint and gently stroke the sky a cloudless, bright blue. Brighter than Ciel's associated sapphire. His strokes were light and soft and quiet against the canvas and Ciel found himself indeed starting to relax just watching it. Joanne kept his eye on his work, his hair slightly falling into his face. The spring breeze gently fluttered into the room, teasing the sheer curtains hung up. There was no sound aside from the brush strokes. Against his better judgement, Ciel started to feel drowsy again and bit his lip sharply, sitting up straighter. Not only did he want to avoid getting in trouble, but he also knew the moment he closed his eyes, he'd be victim to those terrible nightmares that plagued him as of late and screaming and thrashing in front of Joanne was not something he wished to do.

Joanne continued to paint for another hour, finally leaning back in his seat and sighing afterwards. "The sky is done!" He held up the finished project and Ciel nodded. Joanne definitely had a talent in painting; the colours were masterfully blended and the lines were invisible.

"Do you have a natural talent for this or is it something you learned?" He asked curiously.

"Both, I think? W-Well, I've been tutored in watercolours ever since I was six. When I became enrolled in Weston, I continued my lessons because it's proper for noble sons to do so. I became really good at it while studying here...I-I also thought it'd impress my father if I could do something more than just read, but..." He trailed off with a blush on his cheeks and Ciel understood.

"I like music more. I take violin lessons and sing a little bit, though my artistic passions in that area aren't really improved. I mostly just read," Ciel added.

"Yes, I love hearing you play violin. You could put even Cheslock to shame!" Joanne smiled. "I remember last year for your birthday, Midford invited me and Mcmillian and you played the violin for us. It was one of the most beautiful melodies I've ever heard...even Lady Diedrich was enjoying it." He smiled more and blushed. "Lady Diedrich...how is she? I was shy to meet her because of her status but we became friendly because she spoke German fluently,"

"You speak German?" Ciel asked in slight surprise.

"Y-Yes! I'm fluent in it. My grandfather is from Germany and my father named me Johan in his honor. I also know Latin and French, and I want to learn another but I'm not sure which one..."

Joanne being fluent in German made sense, he was always reading those German physiology books even in his own world and wondered how he never connected the two together. He never heard Joanne speak it or do any work related to it outside of the books, so he honestly had no clue if that was something that remained identical in both worlds or was purely a fabrication of this one.

He had picked his painting back up and placed it nicely on the windowsill, putting away the rest of his paints. He then squirmed and darted out of the room suddenly, making Ciel raise an eyebrow and follow after him.

Was he sick? Maybe he should've run the other way for the infirmary instead of following after him.

"Harcourt?" He managed to follow him all the way down the hallway until he stopped at the door labeled as being the gentleman's toilet-room. Ah, that made sense. And if Ciel remembered correctly, the actual public toilet-rooms at Weston were fairly primitive. Best he just stay out there.

"Y-You waited for me?" Joanne asked in surprise when he came back outside, blushing. "I just had to relieve myself suddenly...I didn't want to interrupt the nice conversation we were having so I didn't say anything." He pulled some hair away from his face and placed it behind his ear.

"I only followed you because I thought you were sick,"

He stifled a giggle. "Oh! You watched me paint, so how about we make it even and I watch you play violin? I'd love to relax,"

"I think I should be heading back to my dorm. It's getting late and I haven't even begun to do half of what I need to do," He declined. "Some other time, maybe?"

"Alright..." Joanne pouted a bit. "If you say so...I'm going to go find Mcmillian,"

Ciel nodded and walked off in the other direction, heading back to the temporary Scarlet Fox dorm he still shared with Norman after the accidental fire. He sat down at his desk and surrounded himself with books to give the illusion he was working on schoolwork in case Norman, Joanne, or someone like a Prefect came in to check on him, when in reality he was taking notes on what he was able to read from the books available in the library as well as piece together everything he knew about his life thus far.

The nightmares were connected to whatever happened, Ciel was sure he knew that. Where else would they have come from and why would they remain so startlingly vivid? The people he read about came from similar circumstances as his own; they all came from dissatisfied lives and after something peculiar happened to them, they'd find themselves in the perfect life they dreamed of. All had some sort of connection to the darker part of England and dabbled in some sort of occultic activity. In the timespan of a few weeks to a month, they all had died in mysterious and grotesque ways, their lives seemingly back to normal. They also gained memories from the life they supposedly had lived for years.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was in-store for Ciel himself if he just sat around and let the world run its course. In a month's time, they'd be fishing his poisoned body out of The Thames and the Midfords would have to arrange a funeral, the remainder of the Phantomhives having mysteriously vanished. Sieglinde would be heartbroken over the loss of her fiance. And as for the others...

Ciel just wasn't sure of how to get himself out. Sleeping normally didn't work as he discovered his first night; he kept waking up in this world. Perhaps he had to make another wish to counter-act this one, or hit his head really hard, or have a near-death experience...

"But none of those would work because this is all rubbish! It's silly to rely on such methods that have basis in fairytales!" Ciel finally huffed in frustration. Everything was trying his patience; this whole world was frivolous and foolish. God, why did he have to have such a selfish desire?

He instead wrote down everything that had changed in his own life personally and mulled over that. Everyone genuinely seemed to be happy that he had seen. Rachel had claimed Madame Red was still alive and well and was evidently a party-animal, though Ciel needed to see for himself to fully confirm that. He didn't think Rachel was lying, he just needed to prove it himself. Everyone else though seemed to be living their best lives, everyone except for Elizabeth.

He wondered if she knew something was seriously off, if everything here was wrong. She was always very intuitive when it came to things like that even if she hardly used it. The rest of the Midfords, hell, the rest of his family and friends seemed oblivious to what had occurred, but she hadn't. The next time he saw her, which was very likely to be June 4th, he'd have to get her alone someway and ask her about it.

He would only have a month, tops. Even if whoever is in charge was feeling generous, that only gave him until the start of the new year; it was all just borrowed time. He needed to find a way to break the spell, and fast.

Ciel put his books away and headed to bed for the night.


	8. Meeting with the Alienist

The next few days of classes passed by in a blur for Ciel; he had mathematics, classic literature, violin for music class, poetry, anatomy, Latin, French, and oil-painting, on top of his usual Fag duties and practicing for the cricket tournament. It was draining and while Ciel didn't mind the monotony, he loathed how exhausted he felt mentally and physically afterwards and could only go to bed and not research further into what to do.

At the end of the week, though, he took it easy in his given classes because right after Fag duties he was supposed to see the school's alienist for his first session, something he kept silent about aside from his brother who somehow already knew, and the staff, but none of the other students were ever allowed to know.

At exactly five in the evening sharp, Ciel gingerly knocked on the alienist's office; getting turned-around because he wasn't expecting his office to be in the building for Green Lion of all places.

"Hello? Who is it?"

"P-Phantomhive."

"First name? There are two attending here,"

"...C-Cedric,"

"Ah, yes, you were expected! Come on in!"

Ciel slowly pushed open the door and found a large open room painted almost entirely in eggshell, two chairs sat up across from each other in the center. There were lots of empty shelves stacked in the back of the room, and a closed door labeled with the alienist's name.

Mr. Liverpool.

Nobody he recognized then.

"Have a seat. Normally I have more than one person in my sessions, because social contact is very healthy in young men like yourself, but since today is your first day, I decided to go easy on you and made it just you and me today," The man stepped out into the light, and Ciel thought he looked unremarkable. Brown hair, straight, brown eyes, a tan suit and long white coat pulled over it, a book of notes, glasses on his face. Looked like one would expect, but Ciel also didn't let his guard down. The most average-looking person could be hiding the most dangerous secret, he learned that well numerous times.

He did sit down, sitting up straight and looking at the floor. Mr. Liverpool sat down across from him.

"Now, Cedric, let's get some things out of the way. I saw your wince and want to first say that yes, we will all be on a first-name basis in here despite the rules. When you meet the others for your sessions, you shall refer to them by their first name and not their last, and they shall do the same for you. Being on a first-name basis with your peers is the first step to building a solid friendship. Secondly, my methods have been considered unorthodox. I simply believe that a healthy well-being has plenty to do with your mental, physical, social, and emotional health. Therefore, I will do any method necessary to be sure all four areas are in great shape. And thirdly, our sessions will not last long, only an hour or two tops. However, if I ask for you at any time during the day, you are to come at once. You do not get a say in there. This is all for you, remember. You want to be a healthy and productive member of society, correct?"

Ciel nodded slowly, still staring at the floor. It sounded to him like he was about to get inducted into a cult. Knowing the school's history, that was likely. The thought made him shudder.

"Perfect. I can see us getting along quite well. Let's start with the basics. I know you as a student, but I don't know you as a person. Enlighten me. What do you like to do? What do you want to be when you grow older? Are you close with your family? Do you have any friends?"

He only had two options; lie or tell the truth. Any lies about his family would be caught on-sight due to their influence, yet Ciel didn't really feel like pouring his heart out to this strange man. He didn't even want to attend these sessions, he just had to because the school was forcing him to all because he accidentally burned half of the first-floor of Sapphire Owl down. He wasn't crazy and didn't need to strengthen his bonds with anyone. He was perfectly fine.

"My family and I have a complex relationship." He finally answered.

"I imagine all families do, especially noble ones. There's always so much going on and never enough time for everyone as they'd like. Having a twin as you do too must be exhausting. You never truly know if who you are is yourself or just a mirror image of your brother," Ciel heard him writing on the pad and briefly glanced up. "Am I right?"

"Did you have any siblings growing up?"

"A few, but they all died very young. Only I survived. The croup, scarlet fever, whooping-cough...diseases are truly cruel when they decide to come for children," Mr. Liverpool sighed.

Ciel, who survived all of those diseases as a child, said nothing. Really, who _didn't_ know someone who had croup as a child? It was almost a rite of passage. He had it, Elizabeth and Edward had it, his brother had it even, and he bet even Sieglinde had it when she was younger.

"What sorts of hobbies do you have? Your classes are far more focused on art and culture than your brother, who has grueling business-related classes. Do you envy him? Do you wish you could be considered as an heir too? Do you think you should've been the heir and not him and therefore entitled to everything he currently has?"

"No. I've never thought those things at all," Ciel answered quickly. The lamps were far too bright and gave him a headache as they reflected off the walls. "He is the heir because he is older. That is how it works. I never wanted the title of Earl or the wealth or any of that. I'm perfectly capable of making my own way in life,"

Mr. Liverpool stared at him for a maddeningly long time before writing that down.

"So you like your simpler classes,"

"They're all just classes at the end of the day. A lot of this stuff is just review for me anyway," Sebastian had trained him thoroughly and vigriously the past three years in everything needed and wanted in an Earl in terms of their education. He had sports, art, culture, music, languages, math, literature, and science all under his belt at high levels.

A nod. "Do you have any friends here at school?"

"I am not a very social person," Ciel bit out. No sense in throwing Norman and Joanne into the deep end so quickly; perhaps later, but not right now. He didn't need them at the moment and wouldn't be so unfair to them.

"Are you sure? My records say you are close with Norman Mcmillian from Sapphire Owl and Joanne Harcourt from Scarlet Fox,"

"They think they are friends with me, but they aren't. They just latched onto the first lonely-looking person they saw," Ciel sat up more and winced. His head hurt even more and he felt airy and slightly dizzy. A bad kind of airy, as if his entire lower-half just didn't exist at all. Who was this man, and what was this room?

"What a shame. Friends are very important for social structure, you know. Well, here's to hoping you'll befriend some people here during your sessions,"

Ciel doubted that highly. He didn't want to know who in Weston of all places was so eccentric they needed to get it talked out of them.

The session continued on for another forty-five minutes, Ciel feeling more and more disoriented as it went on. The questions ranged from deeply personal to extremely random, and somehow Mr. Liverpool was privy to several of Ciel's own insecurities. As he left, he received a sudden smack to the wrist that brought him back into reality and made him wince.

"Cedric, I enjoyed our time today very much. I shall see you next week for our next one. You are a very interesting young man," Mr. Liverpool smiled. "Though you really should have a better attitude about everything. Nobody likes gloomy and sullen people,"

Ciel decided he didn't like Mr. Liverpool very much.

####

When Ciel returned for his third week, he still hadn't met any of the other 'clients' of Mr. Liverpool, and upon walking into the room, wondered if that would change when he saw several coloured glass bottles set out on the floor.

"A pleasure, Cedric. We're going to be doing something a bit different today," Mr. Liverpool was smiling that day and Ciel suppressed a shiver.

"Are those bottles for your other patients?" He asked, walking into the center of the room.

"Guests, Cedric. We call them guests. And no, those are for you,"

There was a purple one, a green one, a blue one, two yellow ones, three pink ones, four white ones, a gold one, and a black one, all in a line. Ciel could tell they all had something different each inside.

"Inside each bottle is something different. A solid, a liquid, depends. Today you will not be allowed to leave until you drink all of these, but surely that cannot be a hard task, correct?"

Ciel stared at the bottles uneasily. Normally, it wouldn't be, but he was suddenly very certain one or all of those bottles contained poison.

"What does this have to do with my mental state?"

"Learning to take things as they come is a very useful skill. If you live your life full of paranoia and hysteria, you get sick. You hurt people unknowingly. If you sit back and handle things as they're presented to you, you will find you'll live a much longer, happier, and healthier life,"

He thought that sounded like a giant pack of lies and was just an excuse to get him to drink, but Ciel didn't want to waste all day arguing with Mr. Liverpool. Drink all of the bottles and he could live. Easy enough deal, and if they all were poison? He had a feeling his family wouldn't let the school hear the end of that.

Though, Mr. Liverpool was supposedly an esteemed alienist with several other patients. If he was killing them, even secretly, the school would have a way of knowing, right? Or was that the plan all along, send troubled students who couldn't be helped to an alienist who'd kill them on the guise of helping them, then burn the body and claim it was suicide, shaming the family?

He suddenly felt extremely sick and tense, but swallowed his feelings down and took the green bottle, associating green with poison. Would it really be that easy? He looked at Mr. Liverpool and then at the bottle, finding it plain and unmarked and made from high-quality glass. He bit his lip and wafting the scent over to his nose, unable to smell anything. He then took a sip and felt his eyes widen at the taste of chocolate cake and buttered toast. Together, they tasted heavenly and he tried to remain composed as he polished the drink off.

"Marvelous!" Mr. Liverpool praised, but Ciel ignored him.

One down, thirteen to go.

He picked a white one at random next, getting milk. The blue one was an American drink of cola. Two of the pink ones had cotton-candy in them. He then glanced at Mr. Liverpool.

"This is a waste of my time,"

"What a response, being upset because you didn't drop dead! What an interesting person you are, Cedric," He smiled.

Ciel turned his back and looked at the remaining bottles. Purple, two yellow, one pink, three white, one gold, and one black. He picked up the yellow one and tipped it into his mouth, feeling something hairy drop into there instead. Startled, Ciel pulled it out and widened his eyes at the sight of a large spider, wiggling around in his grasp. He looked over at the alienist, who was taking notes.

"I am not putting a spider inside my mouth. Or _anywhere_ in my body, for that matter,"

"Spiders have a lot of protein in them. Many cultures make food out of them, like grilling them or boiling them, making soups and salads and even steaks out of them. Some even eat them raw-"

"S-Stop! I don't want to hear anymore!" Ciel looked back at the spider and felt ill. This 'experiment' or whatever it was had nothing to do with his mental state, he knew that now. Dr. Liverpool was just extremely eccentric. What did his other patients think of him?

Ciel then closed his eyes and shoved the spider inside, slamming his mouth shut tight and feeling the spider walk around inside. He nearly gagged and felt his throat burn as liquid came back up, but forced it back down. The spider was small enough that he could swallow without chewing-even that thought made him shudder, as was the current one-so he did so, swallowing it a few times to get it down. He then leaned over on the chair, panting hard and concentrating on both his brain and stomach to keep the spider down. He bit his lip and stood up straight after several minutes, knowing then it wasn't going to come back up.

Disgusted, Ciel rushed through the rest of the drinks, finding treats in all but two; the black bottle was empty and the gold bottle had several pounds in it. He stared back at Mr. Liverpool in curiosity, who just smiled.

"A reward for your trouble. Get yourself something sweet, you seem like someone who likes candy. Or maybe a present for your sweetheart,"

Ciel ignored him and silently counted the money, enough to give Sieglinde a new dress if she so wished for one. Or a new set of books. He wondered what Elizabeth would've wanted had they still been engaged; a new dress too? Yes, along with a matching hat and pair of shoes.

"Now run along. My next guest is due in just a few minutes and I have to clean all of this up,"

Ciel was all-too-glad to do so, heading back to his dorm. Norman and Joanne were there, happily studying together, and the moment Ciel saw them, his stomach flopped from the memory of the spider and he darted over to the commodore, lifting the lid up and beginning to vomit. Norman and Joanne silenced instantly and stared at him in concern and worry.

"Shall I get the nurse?" Norman asked first, finding his voice.

"Should I get your brother or Midford?" Joanne asked, trembling.

Ciel said nothing and continued to puke, gagging and coughing. Nothing had digested and he was suddenly terrified of seeing the spider come up too, alive, still crawling around and wriggling, but luckily it didn't. Afterwards, Ciel backed away from the commodore and shivered, trying to find his own voice but being unable to. He bit his lip; his eyes watering from the vomit.

"What happened? Where were you?" Joanne asked, running over. He stared down into Ciel's eyes, his red ones shimmering with worried tears.

Ciel shook his head, refusing to admit he had to see an alienist, and that said alienist forced him to eat a live spider. Joanne pouted.

"Harcourt was originally going to sleep in his room for tonight, but how about the three of us sleep here? We can make a big pallet on the floor, fill it with pillows, and read until we literally pass out! Nobody else has to know," Norman suggested eagerly. "That'll make you feel better,"

Ciel just nodded, feeling too weak to properly protest. He unbuttoned as much of his uniform as he could manage before collapsing into the cot Norman had made up for him. Joanne left to get his own things from his room and also alert a maid to the mess, who cleaned it wordlessly. He then came back in his own pajamas and carrying a large bundle of bedsheets.

"Now this is more like it! Three best friends, lying here on the floor," Norman teased, having changed and curled up in bed.

"The floor's a bit hard though..." Joanne pouted.

Ciel laid in the center inbetween them, having a headache from vomiting. His eyes were closed and he knew the other two took that to mean he had dozed off, because they started talking about him.

"You think he's fallen ill again?" Joanne wondered. "His face is flushed and he's unnaturally quiet,"

"No way, I think someone did something to him. For the past three weeks he's skipped practice for an hour to go somewhere else but never said where. Now it's none of my business, but what if a group of miscreants got to him and are messing with him?" Norman suggested. "We could take this to their Prefect!"

"They wouldn't poison someone, would they?" Joanne gasped. "Surely they wouldn't be that awful?"

"You are in Scarlet Fox, you figure that one out yourself, Harcourt. Could be anyone though.." Norman was silent for a time before suddenly saying: "And such bullying tactics are common on campus anyway. One year, I heard that a group from Violet Wolf forced a first-year from Sapphire Owl to swallow live goldfish as a show of courage or something like that,"

"Goldfish can't hurt you though..." Joanne sniffled. "He's been so different since he came back...I don't want to think about him getting hurt or involved with the wrong people," He bit his lip. "Tomorrow morning, I'm telling Midford. He'll know what to do. Maybe he'll get sent home to relax,"

Norman laid down next to Ciel, moving close to him. "For once, I just don't know what to do...I just don't know what to do,"

Joanne moved in close to Ciel as well, pouting more. "We should just go to bed...maybe we'll have a better idea when we wake up,"

"Agreed."

The two then fell asleep, and Ciel fell asleep himself at a later point that night, and in the morning the three were sleeping very close to each other, Joanne and Norman snuggling close to Ciel.


	9. Preparations for the Cricket Game

The next morning, Ciel woke up and found Joanne already awake, reading a book beside him. He took a peek and saw it was entirely in German.

"Harcourt," He announced, making Joanne jump slightly. "You said your first name was Johan, right? So why does everyone refer to you as Joanne?"

He blushed and looked away. "Some people can't pronounce it. That's the closest they can get. And my first-year...Cole spread a rumor that I was lying about my name to seem high-and-mighty in Scarlet Fox and told everyone I was really Joanne. It stuck..." He pouted. "The school records me as Johan but the students don't,"

Ciel nodded, having the answer.

"Are you feeling alright?" His eyes shimmered with worry again. "You were very sick last night..."

"My health is none of your concern," Ciel sighed. "I think it was...too much sun,"

Joanne stared at him for a long time before returning back to his book. Ciel found himself settling into the monotonous schedule again. April showered into May and brought pleasant spring weather for the first time that year, which made classes feel more tedious as everyone felt anxious to go outside. Cricket practice became required and more grueling, and Ciel found his thoughts occupied instead with potential ways to bring his team to victory. Did he use the same tactics he did in his old world, or employ new ones? Indeed, his thoughts about trying to escape the dream-world he was in took up residence in the back of his mind while his schoolwork took over importance. On the outside, Ciel did indeed genuinely seem happy. Even his scheduled meetings with the school alienist turned mundane and monotonous, just sessions of talking with no live-spider-eating in sight. He hadn't met his supposed other 'guests' and assumed at that point he never would. Perhaps Mr. Liverpool was lying about that, which wouldn't surprise Ciel in the slightest.

Everything was slowly starting to fall into place.

#####

Yet another month passed in relative monotonous splendor. Ciel secretly counted the days and found he still only had a few months to get to the bottom of what the new world was and who created it. As he had correctly predicted, being stuck at Weston put a halt to his research and he knew he wouldn't be able to properly pick it back up until summer break, which thankfully was a few days after the famous cricket game. He could hold off for a few more days, no matter how anxious he seemed.

He also realized at some point along the way he had finally received the memories from this world's version of him. Some of it was stuff he already knew from asking the others, but some of it was entirely new. Once he learned he had, he had feigned ill and locked himself in his dorm, writing down as many memories as he could physically recall. He remembered teaching Sieglinde how to play cards and being amazed at how quickly she caught on, how she was as big of an eater as her father and plundered the dinner at every event she was invited to, how in the late nights when they were meant to be asleep, they'd huddle close beside the fire and read fairy-tales to each other. He remembered how Elizabeth always watched him carefully when he thought she wasn't and how his brother kept her preoccupied with dresses and hats and ribbons. He remembered spending winter at Weston and ice-skating with Joanne on the frozen River Thames; he was always a lot clumsier at it than Joanne was who skated with perfect grace. He remembered the taxing exams they always took in fall and studying into the early morning hours with Norman, sometimes collapsing on top of their books after grueling study periods. He remembered Madame Red visiting as often as she could and becoming a confidante and role model of sorts to both Elizabeth and Sieglinde; the latter of whom especially admired how she was a doctor and longed to follow in her footsteps in some way. His parents dancing together at a noble charity ball, Rachel smiling brightly in a way that lit up the whole room. Him playing the violin by himself in his room, playing it with such masterful tunes he never possessed in his old world.

He also had the memories of his old world and it pained and disturbed him both to compare the two and have them exist together in his mind side-by-side. Elizabeth and Joanne nearly getting eaten by Bizarre Dolls, Sieglinde's abuse at the hands of her mother, Madame Red getting killed, him and his brother getting tortured and neglected by the cult that kidnapped them. Still, he couldn't deny having his memories of this world finally surface would help him out tremendously in figuring out his relationships with everyone and what they expected of him.

The only thing he had left to worry about was the cricket game, and then he could finally go home again.

#####

A week before the famous game, Ciel got called down to the alienist's office yet again, finding two people seated in chairs, which made him pause.

"Cedric, a pleasure. Sit down," Mr. Liverpool smiled. Ciel very slowly took his seat, not meeting the eyes of the other two students. "These are two of my guests. Normally I have at least one more, a prince from India, but he's on leave at the moment due to family issues, so it'll just be us today. I am terribly sorry it took so long to get all of us together, but better late than never, right? Everyone is always so busy with their school,"

Ciel said nothing. It was bad enough more people had to see him like this and consider him a loony. And weren't his sessions only supposed to last for a week or so?

"Now, how about we all introduce ourselves?"

"I'll go first!" A boy with brown hair stood up eagerly. His hair was brushed over one eye and he had vibrant freckles and a dark purple uniform. Ciel startled; he'd know that face anywhere. "I'm Vic-Victor, Victor Whitehall, and I'm in Violet Wolf, great ta meet ya!"

What was Doll doing in a place like this? After the session, he'd have to try and get her alone to talk to her, if he could manage it.

"Not even sure why I'm sure. Maybe 'cuz of my flexibility? People say I'm cursed by the Devil, oooooh!" She waved her hands at Ciel, who just stared back at her.

"Victor here comes from an unknown but very close-knit family, according to him. However he's very flighty and skips classes a lot, so he was recommended to me to sort him out," Mr. Liverpool explained as Doll took her seat again. She continued smiling at Ciel. "Now you,"

"Hm? But why? I do not want to," The other boy scoffed, and Ciel finally looked up to see it was none other than Maurice Cole.

"C-Cole?! Why are you here?!"

"It's none of your business!" Maurice snapped back, still managing to look dainty. "The school made me go. If they had not, I wouldn't be here, now would I?"

"Maurice does have very personal reasons to be here, and thus I shall not divulge them here. Believe it or not, I care about privacy," Mr. Liverpool said calmly. "Now then, we can begin our group session. How is everyone doing? Are you excited for the famous tournament?"

Maurice smiled elegantly. "But of course. My close friend Ciel is going to be playing for Scarlet Fox, which is a sure guarantee we will win. Our House almost always does,"

"I dunno, this year we got some great players!" Doll shook her head.

"My father led his team to victory thirty years ago, I see no reason why this can't be the same." Ciel added, trying to rake his brains for any memory of Doll attending the school. He had none; all his memories of her came from his previous world.

"Yeah, the Miracle of the Sapphires I think! Musta been a right fine game, ya know!" She leaned back in her seat. "I think the worst part o' these games is playin' against your friends. Makes the next few days awkward,"

"Sometimes competition is healthy though. It makes everyone stronger," Mr. Liverpool said. "Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this year's game, but I know you three will do wonderfully,"

"They _are_ sometimes a bore to watch, I must admit," Maurice played with his curls. "But I go because it is my duty to do so,"

"I think that is a good topic for this week. Competition. Is it healthy or harmful?" Mr. Liverpool continued. "Surely all three of you have had some sort of competition in your lives at some point, almost everyone has."

"Uh, not really. My family shares pretty much everything! So we don't fight much, if at all!" Doll admitted.

"I was originally in consideration to be Redmond's Fag, but then he chose Harcourt over me because he seemed more trustworthy. I think I would have made a far better choice, for starters, Harcourt is still very young and inexperienced, and second of all, I just do not trust someone like that. Did you know he has ties in Germany? He is likely lying and is dirt poor and does not deserve any of his praise or honors," Maurice said. "Besides, even if he was German, that still helps him little. Have you ever heard a German accent? Ridiculous,"

"Nonetheless, you weren't chosen. And I imagine you are frustrated about that, right?" Mr. Liverpool asked.

"Of course I am! Harcourt gets to suck up to Redmond! I think it is only because Harcourt is doing things for him. You know what I mean. He is likely sodomizing him-"

"Thank you for your thoughts, Maurice, but that talk is not very proper nor polite for the current crowd," Mr. Liverpool cut him off, suddenly looking slightly intense. Ciel suppressed a shiver going down his spine. That expression seemed hauntingly familiar to him. "Now, is there anything else anyone else would like to add?" He stared over at Ciel, who tried to look disinterested. "No?"

"My, this session was highly unproductive," Maurice mocked. "Especially for those in most need of it,"

"Maurice, watch your tone. We are all on equal ground here," After waiting for a few more minutes, Mr. Liverpool stood up. "Well then, if nobody has anything else to say, I suppose I shall cut this meeting short. Wait here until your next class starts, alright? I will be in my office," He left them then, and Ciel glanced over at Doll, who was leaning back in her chair some more; despite how high off the floor it was, she seemed perfectly calm and had no fear.

"Victor...?" He asked slowly, making Doll look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you here? At this school, I mean. I mean, I have never seen you before," He tried to tread lightly, knowing Maurice was still there, and indeed, he scoffed.

"Why would you want to see anyone from Violet Wolf? They are all tasteless and classless. They claim their talents will get them far in life, but I think not. To get far in life, you need prestige, charm, and a title,"

"Harcourt was looking for someone to train him in ice-skating, he keeps slipping because his balance isn't very good," Ciel lied quickly, knowing his memories told him otherwise. That one time had been a fluke because Joanne was startled.

"But he's so graceful on the ice, he is! I see him sometimes when I rope some o' my friends into a snowball fight. He is like a swan!" Doll gasped.

Damn it.

"I'm looking for someone to train me!" He then tried. "I am not very balanced,"

"Sure," Doll said quickly. "Guess you ain't seen me 'cuz we're in different Houses, and I started fairly late into the year. So I'm technically a third-year when I should be a fourth since I'm sixteen. It was hard getting the funds, lemme tell ya. But my family persevered since they knew I needed to get an education somewhere, and my flexibility was deemed good enough for Violet Wolf. Since I can walk on a tightrope and stuff like that. 'S fun, I get to wear a skirt an' everything!"

"A shameful display, if you ask me. No culture and you even wear a dress despite your status being male," Maurice tittered. "Though you sound like a circus freak anyhow, so I'm supposed I am not too surprised,"

"Hey! I'm not-" Doll got cut off by Mr. Liverpool coming back in.

"Time for your next class. I hope to see you all again in your individual sessions,"

Maurice simply left with a scoff, while Doll smiled at Ciel. "Ya seem awfully familiar with me, but that's alright. Come by Violet Wolf at some point, 'kay? Ask for Victor Whitehall. Tons o' people have that last name so ask for Victor just to make sure!" She ran off eagerly with a wave, while Ciel sighed. He started to leave as well before Mr. Liverpool stopped him.

"Yes?"

"Cedric, I know about your cricket tournament coming up and how you're one of the players for Sapphire Owl. Far be it from me to encourage troublemaking given my position, however, you strike me as someone who craves troublemaking every now and again. It's perfectly healthy in boys your age, and what better place to make mischief than a school-wide event?" He slipped something glassy and heavy into Ciel's hands with a slight wink. "Use it well,"

Ciel quickly left and took a glance at what he was slipped; a brown glass bottle filled with a dark liquid. Written on the label was _'Syrup of Ipecac'_. He allowed himself to shiver. Mr. Liverpool seemed to know way too much for his own good.

######

The remainder of the week was filled with preparations for the actual tournament, putting the finishing touches on the costumes, as well as preparing the actual school for the arrival of their families. Sapphire Owl had decided their theme would be Intellect, so everyone was to dress as a teacher, librarian, university student, things of that nature. Ciel decided himself he'd dress as a graduate of university, so he'd wear a more formal blue suit underneath a black robe and cap. It was simple enough that it wouldn't cause him undue attention. He wondered what Scarlet Fox and Green Lion were doing for their themes. He figured Green Lion might just do knights again, they often did, but he hoped Scarlet Fox would be more creative than that. He also thought of Doll and had a sudden thought Violet Wolf would look good in a circus theme. If she wore the right outfit, she could keep fooling everyone else into thinking she was still a boy, just a boy in a dress.

Once the day of the party came, Ciel got dressed by the attendants and stood outside the doors near the middle of the crowd, waiting for his cue to go on. Norman hadn't been chosen to play the actual tournament, but he'd still be at the ball and Ciel would see him then.

"The Intellect of the Masters!" Mr. Tiwise announced, and Ciel held his head up high and walked in, trying to locate someone he knew in all of the chaos. Once everyone had entered, the Prefects lit the fire to start the party, and afterwards everyone cheered and went off to do their own thing. It was typical things Ciel recalled from both this world and his old one, so it wasn't anything to commit to memory.

Instead, the bottle Mr. Liverpool had given him weighed heavily on his mind. Only a fool wouldn't understand it; it was used for violent expulsion if one got sick. Ciel had done something similar to win against Scarlet Fox in his old world, but that was a different circumstance. Here, he was meant to have fun and play fair...and Joanne was one of his friends in this world. The thought of hurting him like that didn't sit well with Ciel either. Then again, if this was meant to be a perfect world of his...and what teacher just gave out things like that anyway?

"Phantomhive!" Norman and Joanne hurried over to him. Norman was dressed in a formal grey suit, while Joanne was dressed up regally in a suit.

"We were looking all over the place for you!" Norman gasped.

"Y-Yeah...it was harder than we expected," Joanne smiled awkwardly. Over the suit was a rich red robe and a matching crown and scepter in his hands; he was clearly meant to resemble royalty. "Your tassel was hiding your face,"

"Are you excited for our game tomorrow?" His brother wandered over as well, dressed just as regally as Joanne was. "I look forward to beating your team fairly,"

"Fairly?" Ciel nearly bit back a scoff. His brother would use any under-handed tactics he possibly could to ensure victory. That he knew for certain.

"Of course! I love good sportsmanship," His brother smiled coyly. "Either way, my House has won almost every year, so that's why I want to offer my wishes of good luck."

"I guess we'll just have to let the best House win then," Ciel tried to smirk back. "Which is going to be mine,"

"Ciel!" Elizabeth walked over then, pushing Sieglinde in her wheelchair. "I know it's a bit early, but did you want to dance with me? I want to spin my dress around on the dancefloor!" She asked nicely, wearing a bright yellow gown patterned with roses.

"Of course," His brother gently took her hand. "Let's leave them to their own devices," They then walked off.

"Lord Cedric!" Sieglinde squealed, undettered. "I've missed you so much!" She hugged him the best she could from her chair. "I can't wait to see you play tomorrow!"

"Yes, it'll certainly be interesting," Ciel smiled at her before pushing her chair away to a more quieter part of the room. He sat on one of the provided couches and sighed. "How have things been since I've left?"

"Mostly boring. I just read and studied a lot alongside Vati. Lady Angelica visited once with some new dresses for me, like this one!" She smoothed it out in her lap; it was a pale blue with a white ribbon around her waist. She wore matching bows in her short hair. "Doesn't it look good on me?"

"It does," Ciel simply nodded. "I am sorry to say my days here at Weston have been very dull. I cannot wait to go back home," At least at home he'd have an easier time trying to figure out how to get back to his own world.

"Really? Nothing interesting? Have you read any good books lately?" She pressed.

"Books about...the occult," He hesitated.

"Like what Earl Phantomhive investigates sometimes? That sort of thing can be interesting. Like how a lot of chemistry experiments and reactions can be made to resemble magic or witchcraft, but it's all just regular old science!"

He looked away from her at that.

"Lord Cedric?" She scooted a bit closer to him before she suddenly lost her balance, collapsing on top of him and making them both fall to the floor.

"H-Hey!" He protested as she landed on top of him; their eyes met and he felt his face heat up with a blush. "That's why you don't lean so far!"

"Well, since we're like this..." Sieglinde was silent before she suddenly gave Ciel a quick peck on the lips, smiling. Then she gave him another one. "I kissed you! I finally got to kiss you!"

He blushed even more as some people began staring at them. She laid her head on his chest.

"Come on, get up," He directed, still feeling flustered. She slowly scooted off of him and happily took his hand, leaning on him and limping over to her chair as she sat down again, fixing her dress.

"Want to kiss again?" She asked with a smirk, and he blushed again. He looked over the scene of the party, trying to pick everyone out. Edward was talking with Greenhill; both dressed as knights, as he expected. Norman and Joanne were drinking some tea together. He even spotted Doll, dressed in a colourful version of a ballerina-rose outfit, walking on her hands easily and then jumping into the air, landing perfectly on her feet to the amazement of on-lookers. He didn't know where Maurice was but didn't care enough to seek him out. He also didn't see his parents, or Alexis and Frances. He did find his brother though, dancing with Elizabeth, who looked a bit tired while his brother just smirked on. He pulled her even closer and Ciel caught the small wince she had at the action before she quelled it.

The syrup of ipecac burned even hotter in his pocket. That settled it. At the very least, he gave his brother a fighting chance, right? He needed to play his own hand before his brother even got the chance.

"I'm going to go talk to Midford," Ciel said suddenly, nodding at Sieglinde. "I won't be long," He then slipped away, sneaking through the hallways as he checked every door he came across. He soon found the one for the school kitchen and snuck inside, quickly darting under one of the tables. The scent was heavy and almost greasy from all of the meat that was being cooked. Due to the bustle in the kitchen, Ciel knew he needed to act quickly. He peeked out from under the table and noticed one of the nearby tables was decked out in red-accented foods and different kinds of savory dishes. Somehow, he knew that was his target.

Waiting until nobody was focusing on it, he slipped out from under the table and dashed across, looking around for a good target. He had no idea what the vast majority of the team would eat, then realized he had a good-sized bottle. He could pour it into a bunch of different dishes just to be sure. He slipped the bottle out of his robe and uncapped it, splashing it onto various different meat-pies and ornamental slices of cake. He hid the bottle again and ducked back under the table, crawling out of the kitchen until he reached the hall again, then he slowly stood back up, recomposed himself, and headed back into the ballroom. A devious smile appeared on his face despite himself.

Nobody said Ciel Phantomhive got everything he wanted fairly, after all.


End file.
